Moonlight Demon
by Makami
Summary: Useless. That's what Misha is, and she's sick of it. But one day she is visited by a mysterious demon, who makes her the offer of a lifetime. But is what she will gain enough to give up ever becoming a true angel?
1. How to Begin an Adventure 1

Yeah. It's all beginning again, starting now. During the year of 2005, and a bit before, I recieved the greatest feedback for a story that I've ever recieved. However, the story itself was sub-quality. I apologize to my readers for this.

So, after hours of saving 22 chapters, and every last review thatI got for this fanfiction, I think that it's time to begin again. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to post the same story twice on So, I deleted the old version of the story(want to take a look at the old one? Go to my website) and am re-posting this. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I am not Koge Donbo. Therefore, Pita Ten does not belong to me. Are you happy? I said it! -cry-

_We'll say goodbye, Lost Heaven.  
How we longed for Heaven.  
We're letting go of something we never had.  
Time goes so fast, Heaven is lost.  
_- LOST HEAVEN, L'arcenCiel.

**Moonlight Demon  
**_Prologue A (Misha)_

It was actually sunny out that morning. That had been the first thing that Misha had noted when she woke up. There were no clouds to blemish the sky, and what snow remained from the last snowfall glistened in the light. The sight itself of the city as it glowed stole her breath away. It was beautiful. Nothing could have kept her from seeing it.

That was her last chance to see it.

"Well, Misha? Are you almost ready to leave?"

Misha smiled to the figure that stood in a shadowed corner of her living room and nodded. She was holding on to an armload of clothing, and was headed for her "To: Heaven" box. She dropped her belongings in, then rushed back into her room. When she returned to the living room again with another armload she said,

"There's only a little bit more. Su."

"Are you certain that this is what you want to do, Misha?" the shadowed figured asked her. "Heaven forced you to fall, but what I am asking of you is much _worse_ for an angel. Are you sure that you can handle falling even lower?"

Misha smiled as if she was expecting that something great was going to happen, but when she received a sigh from the figure, the smile faded from her face.

"It's not like I'm gonna to become an angel. Su," she replied, her voice shaking. Just thinking about that _inevitability_ made her want to cry. "I don't wanna disappear. I… I've got no place else to go…"

She had been thinking about all of this after her fight with Kotarou. It had been the last time that they had spoken, and that was three weeks ago. Living in the apartment next to him, but never speaking to him, was feeling more and more like a punishment that the redemption that the PTB had offered her. She was tired of being here. She felt so lonely, even with Shia keeping her company.

That was when the figure in the room, a half-demon named Aizou, had approached her. While Heaven was on the verge of abandoning her, and while Kotarou was ignoring her, Aizou made the attempt to understand what Misha was going through. They had spoken for a while. Finally, _the_ promise was made: "Become a half-demon, and the time that you need to fix these problems will be granted to you."

Aizou was just a stranger passing through the area, though. If she could feel how much pain Misha was hiding, then why couldn't anyone else?

"Um… Aizou-san!"

"What is it, Misha?" the half-demon questioned.

"Well, I… umm… I was just wondering," she stammered, starting to rub her right arm nervously. "Do you really think that I can do this?"

Aizou stepped out from the shadows and walked closer to Misha. There was still some trick that she was using with the shadows, though, because her face was still dark and hard to see even while she was facing the light. Somehow, Misha doubted that it was a friendly smile that was being covered up.

"If I didn't think that you could handle it, I wouldn't have offered it to you," she replied in a harsh tone. "But what I think doesn't matter. Ultimately, it is _you_ who must see that you are worthy and able. If you question your own abilities and tell yourself that you aren't worthy, then you will undoubtedly fail at everything."

Misha stared at Aizou for a moment, then let her gaze fall to the ground. The half-demon was right. If she didn't believe in herself, how could she make it? She failed the moment she told herself that it was impossible.

Ever since Kotaroh's death, she had thought that becoming a good angel was beyond her abilities. She had failed at that.

Without saying a word, Misha turned away from her. She went to her bedroom and retrieved the last of her belongings.

Another thought came to mind.

"Besides, Misha… You won't be alone anymore," Aizou said, her voice suddenly unbelievably gentle. She almost sounded sad. "Once you're like me, you'll get to meet the others."

Misha stopped short of her "To: Heaven" box and stared at her. She was right. There would be others like her there. She wouldn't be alone. No one would turn away from her for her mistakes. This was a new beginning, a way to fix the past without lingering in it and harming herself.

"You said that we needed Shia-chan, right?" Misha asked. "And that she'll be saved, too? She'll really become a human? Su?"

Aizou nodded. "Make sure that the charm finds it's way to her and that she places it on, and yes, that demon will be spared her coming death."

Misha smiled happily.

"I'm really glad. Su."

----------

Waiting at the elementary school's gates was not Misha's first choice, but it was the most practical in terms of time. Aizou had told her that she had less than two hours before they were leaving. Since school hadn't been over at the time, Misha had flown straight for the place that Kotarou would have been. Unfortunately, an hour later, and fifteen minutes after the last bell, she had to wonder if he was still avoiding her.

_I bet he is…_ she thought bitterly. She leaned back against the brick wall that stood around the school, and glanced through the gates. Still, there was no sign of Kotarou.

"Suuu."

What was she going to say to him, anyways? "Goodbye" seemed like too little to say after everything that they had been through. But when she tried to think of more meaningful words, she drew a blank. Until now, she had not really given what she was going to say much thought. She had to find a way to properly say "goodbye", and to give Shia the necklace that Aizou had provided for her.

Maybe she could find a way to explain to him why she was doing this. No one needed anything or anyone that was useless taking up space in their life.

She was a useless angel.

In order to be worthy of him, to make up for everything she had done wrong to him in this life, and in his past life, she had to become useful.

"Aaahh… suuuu…" she sighed heavily, closing her eyes. She was starting to feel tired.

_He's not coming, is he?_ she thought. _I can't even do things right this time around. If I go, then I'll be a better person. That's what everyone wants… a better Misha…_

"Hey there, Cutie," Takashi's teasing voice broke through her thoughts.

Misha's eyes fluttered open and she stared at him with a blank expression. He wasn't Kotarou.

Kotarou wasn't coming.

She wasn't going to get to say goodbye.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked her, suddenly looking concerned.

"Y-Yeah. Su," she replied. "I'm fine…"

Takashi was quiet for a moment, and looked as if he was going to press the subject. But he didn't, and instead he just shrugged.

"Looking for Kotarou?"

Misha's eyes traveled downwards, to the ground. Her shoulders sagged. "Um… No. Su."

_He hates me. Of course he isn't coming… Why am I even waiting? I… I'm not… I guess…_

Takashi walked closer to her, eyes her carefully. He could tell that something was wrong. Hell, this time it wasn't even very hard to tell. She was letting it show now. But she couldn't make anyone worry about her.

So she smiled a brilliant smile, just for him. So that he wouldn't worry.

He frowned at her.

"Do you wanna talk or something, Misha-san?" he offered.

He wasn't Kotarou, but he was there, and he was willing to talk to her. At least he could pass everything on to the others.

"Yeah. That sounds good. Su."

----------

"Oh, I see," Takashi said thoughtfully after listening to all of her explanations, minus a few details and adding in alterations. "So, you wanted to say goodbye to Kotarou, right? That's why you were waiting."

"Uh huh." She nodded. "But I think this is better. Su. If I was talking to Kotarou-kun, I'd just mess it up and he'd be mad at me again. Suu…"

Misha tried to laugh at herself to lighten the mood, but Takashi's expression did not change. He looked really worried about her.

She sighed again and slumped back on the bus bench. "You know… I don't think anyone's ever not believed me when I smile before. No one wants to see what's behind the smile. If I'm smiling, then everything's okay. Good. It doesn't matter what I'm feeling, so long as it doesn't trouble anyone else." She looked right at him, her expression oddly serious. "But you… Ten-chan, you're looking _at_ me, aren't you?"

Takashi nodded.

"I am. At least, I'd like to think that I am," he admitted.

She smiled a little now, and sat up straighter.

"Um… Ten-chan? Su?"

"Yeah?"

Misha thought about it for a minute before asking her question,

"Do you think that I... I might be able to get your address? So that I can write to you and tell you all the sorts of things that happen while I'm in America?"

She was starting to feel excited about it. Takashi was the only person who had ever been willing to see past her happy smile. He at least tried to find out what she was really feeling. No one else had done that before. It made her happier than she could have imagined. Keeping in touch with him was a thought that made her smile even more.

"Oh, yeah, that'd be great," he agreed and scrambled to find his pen and a piece of paper within his bag.

He quickly scribbled down his address.

"There ya go."

Misha smiled and giggled.

"Thank you, Ten-chan! Su!" she exclaimed as she took it. She giggled again. "I promise to write you as soon as I'm all settled in!"

Takashi glanced at his watch and sighed.

"Well, I should be going," he told her. "I've got a shift coming up."

"Oh… yeah… right…" She'd forgotten that he worked part-time at the Tricot. "I shouldn't be keeping you, then. Suu."

Takashi stood up. "You want to come with me and say bye to everyone?" he offered.

Misha smiled, though she did not mean it, and stared down at her hands.

"You should, you know," he urged.

"I know, I know… suu…" she murmured. "But… Could you give something to Shia-chan for me? I'll try to stop by, but just in case I can't make it…"

"That only proves that you won't be coming by," he countered. He threw his bag over his shoulder and watched her. "You should give it to her yourself."

"Tee hee hee…" Misha looked down and away. "You got me. Su. But, my plane's leaving soon. I won't have the time now. Su."

He sighed, "Fine, fine."

She pulled out a small crimson colored box and handed it to him. The box was a little smaller than his palm and a black ribbon was tied around it. She watched him as he curiously weighed it with his hand and try to figure out what it was.

"Thank you. Su."

"You're wel--" was all that Takashi managed to get out before Misha _attached_ herself to him with a glomp.

"I gotta go now, Ten-chan. Su!" she declared and she snuggled him. Unlike Kotarou, he really didn't seem to mind that she was holding him.

"Awright! You'd better go catch your plane!"

She let go of him,

"Of course! Su!" She stopped for a moment. "Tell everyone I said goodbye and I'll miss you all. Suu."

She laughed one last time before darting off into a passing crowd.

That was the last time that she saw him.


	2. How to Begin an Adventure 2

Yeah... please note that Moonlight Demon(if this is your first time reading it) take place shortly after the seventh volume begins. So there's a lot of spoilers in here.

_As my tears keep overflowing one after another,  
I can't see your last smile through their blur.  
Please don't go, please don't go... Stay here.  
_- Yubiwa, Ma'aya Sakamoto/Escaflowne

**Moonlight Demon  
**"_How to Begin an Adventure" - Prologue B (Kotarou) _

Kotarou Higuchi sighed softly before taking a sip of his drink. He was sitting at the front counter in the Café tricot. He was alone, waiting for Takashi to show up. Koboshi had her piano lessons to get to.

Takashi was almost an hour late now.

Shia busily made her way past customers seated at the tables, making note of what they were calling out to her as she passed by them. From what he could tell, it was a pretty busy day as the tricot.

Kotarou sighed again, his thoughts beginning to wander.

How long had it been since he last spoke to Misha? He guessed that it had been two or three weeks, though it was beginning to feel like forever. Ever since he had discovered the reason why Misha had come down from Heaven, and why it was that she "loved" him so much, he had not been able to talk to her. He could barely even look at her. Between his inner rage and the feeling that his heart was being crushed, he could not face her.

Shia worked as their medium. She went back and forth, telling them how the other was doing. She seemed to sense that keeping in touch was important for the both of them, even if it was just through someone else. The fact that she felt the need to do it was ridiculous. He and Misha were in contact every day, though only at the Tricot. He tried his hardest to hide the fact that he wanted to talk to Misha again, and she seemed to do a good job of the same. In fact, if Misha cared at all that he was there anymore, it wasn't showing.

But that made sense. Misha's only concern was…

"Yo!" Takashi called as he entered the Tricot.

Kotarou remained silent, but his eyes slowly traveled up towards the clock that hung behind the counter. His fists clenched. If Misha was going to show up today, she would have been here by now. Still, even as the minutes passed by to an hour, Kotarou had held out a faint hope that she would come by--even though he _had_ gone out of his way to miss her earlier at the gates.

He was being stupid. What was he thinking? _What_ was it that he wanted? He avoided Misha because he couldn't face her, then turned around and _missed_ her when she wasn't around. Why couldn't he make up his mind? What kept him wanting to see her so badly?

"Hey, Shia-san," Takashi began before anyone could respond to his greeting, "can you afford to live at the apartment you and Misha-san live in on your own?"

Kotarou spun to face Takashi. What kind of question was that? "Could Shia pay for the apartment on her own"… The only reason that that would become an issue was if Misha was going back to Heaven. She would never just leave without saying a word to anyone else, would she?

"Ayanokoji-san…" Shia said softly. She seemed to think about her answer for a long while, but she did not seemed surprised by it. "Yes. I will be able to pay for the rent."

"Ten-chan, why're you asking such a strange question?" Kotarou asked him.

Takashi just grinned and shrugged. "I was just wondering."

"Hunh…" Kotarou didn't believe him for a moment.

"You saw Misha-san, right?" Shia spoke up. She leaned in towards him a little.

Takashi looked surprised for a moment. "Uh, yeah. She was standing at the school gates."

Kotarou was listening closely to their conversation, though he tried his hardest to make it look like he wasn't. Misha had been waiting at the school gates. Just like in the old days. He still wasn't ready to speak to her just yet, but she had been waiting for him. It figured. It was just like Misha to come back meekly after making him angry. Usually he would accept her apology, but today he didn't even give her a chance.

But was it an apology, or was it to say "goodbye"?

The way that Takashi and Shia were speaking made it sound like it was goodbye.

Shia let out a small sigh. "Misha-san went out, but never came home last night. I was a little worried about her," she explained. "I'm relieved to hear that you saw her."

"Yeah… She, uh, said that she was leaving," he continued. "Did you know about that?"

Kotarou's heart skipped a beat. Misha… was really leaving? Now? Without even saying goodbye to him?

Did she even care?

"Wh-Where is she?" he nearly yelled. He jumped from his seat. "Where is Misha-san?"

Everyone in the café seemed surprised by his outburst. Shia merely sighed softly.

"I had a feeling she would do something like this," she admitted. "But no, I didn't know that it had gotten this bad yet. I honestly thought that there was still more time…"

"I-It's not your fault, Shia-san!" Takashi burst out.

"Where did she go?" Kotarou yelled, tired of being ignored by them. "Where did Misha-san go?"

Why was she leaving? Didn't she care about anything, or anyone, other than "Kotaroh"? Didn't she care that all he wanted was for her to see him as who he really was, and not as who he used to be in a past life?

_Misha-san… you idiot…_ he thought and he balled his hands into tight fists. _Why are you leaving?_

"America, dude," Takashi finally answered, snapping Kotarou out of his thoughts. "Well, she's at the airport now, I guess, but America's where Misha-san's headed."

"America?" Kotarou snapped back.

"Yeah," Takashi replied with a slight shrug. "She said that her parents wanted her to go to an American school 'cause it offered her some course that she couldn't get here."

"What…?"

He could barely believe what he was hearing. Even Shia looked slightly confused by what was being said. Misha's parents were up in Heaven. Why would the want her to go to America?

_Of course,_ Kotarou thought, his head dropping. _She went back to Heaven. Ten and the others don't know she's an angel… so she had to tell him that…_

"Aah," Takashi sighed as he sat down on a chair.

_No…_

"Things are gonna be so much more boring without Misha-san around," he said softly.

"…no…"

"She's done so much for me, I wish that I could have gotten to say goodbye at least," Shia commented, sounding as if she was going to cry. "I'm going to miss her."

"Yeah, me too," Takashi agreed.

"_No…_" Kotarou growled. But it did not matter how many times he said it. 'No' wouldn't bring Misha back.

He could feels the backs of his eyes starting to burn. He was going to cry.

"Hey, Kotarou, are you alright, dude?" Takashi asked.

"Kotarou-san…?" Shia echoed him.

Kotarou had meant for it to be a slow, calm walk towards the door. He managed to grab his bag tightly in one hand, but the moment he took the first step, he broke out into an all-out run. He was headed for Misha's. For Misha. If he was fast enough, maybe she would still be there. Maybe she would be staring out of the windows, out at nothing, and when he entered, she would turn around and smile at him like she used to.

He didn't care what Takashi had said. If he tried hard enough, she would be there.

Because she was "Misha-san".

She was always there. She wouldn't just take off like this.

She wouldn't…

----------

Misha hadn't been at her apartment, as he had anticipated. At least, if she had been, she refused to open the door for him. With the way that things had been going between them, he would not have been surprised if she was avoiding him still.

Still…

"Oh, Kotarou-san, you're home!" Shia chirped as her head poked out of her apartment's front door. She smiled softly. "I was beginning to worry about you."

How many hours had he spent running around the area, searching for Misha? Enough that it was well past dark now, anyways. He hadn't bothered to think about the time at all. His sole concern had been Misha. If she was gone, truly gone, he was not sure that he could handle it. The thought that she could be gone for good was worse than never being able to speak to her again, but still being able to see her.

"Shia-san…" he said softly, staring blankly at her.

Shia stepped out into the hallway. She was in her cat-suit pajamas, looking all ready for bed. It must have been really late, if she was already dressed like that, he realized. After eleven o'clock, at the earliest.

She bowed slightly.

"I was waiting up for you," she told him. She smiled again when she came up. "Welcome home."

"Ah… Uh, thank you, Shia-san," he replied quietly. He wanted to ask her if Misha was home, but he was certain that Misha would have waited up for him if she was, and if she was home then she would have been right there with Shia. She would have glomped him.

"Kotarou-san, I have something that I would like to show you," she continued.

_Misha-san won't be in there,_ he thought. Then another thought came to him, _her things are probably gone, too… There won't be anything left…_

He looked down at the ground.

"Kotarou-san?" Shia called him, taking a step closer. She was quiet for a moment, before she finally smiled. "You should go in and go to bed, you know. It's quite late. I can show you some other time."

"No, no, I'm fine," he tried to assure her. He also tried to smile, but couldn't hold it. "It's about time that she left, anyways…"

"You don't mean that, Kotarou-san," Shia replied.

"Y-Yes… I do… She should've gone back to Heaven sooner."

He would not let himself get upset. He would not cry. Not this time, and especially not for Misha. She had never seen him for who he really was. She had never cared to. She only cared about one person, and that was Kotaroh. He wasn't Kotaroh, so she left. If that was how Misha really was, then he refused to cry for her absence. He refused to admit that it hurt him that she left without saying anything to him. If she was really that cold hearted a person, then he could easily get over her.

Definitely.

"Kotarou-san…" Shia repeated his name for the third time, bringing him back to reality. "I don't think that Misha-san is in Heaven, Kotarou-san."

"Eh?" he gasped, staring at her with wide eyes. "Why… Why not?"

Shia gave him a tight-lipped smile and made way for him to enter in through the door. Reluctantly, Kotarou entered.

The apartment was cleaner than he had ever seen it before. No, not cleaner… _emptier._ It looked almost exactly the same as the last time that he had seen it, but things were missing here and there. All of Misha's belongings were missing. Everything in the apartment that could have possibly reminded anyone that Misha had once lived there was now gone, with the exception of a few photographs that Shia had begun to place out. Most of them were loose, laying on the table, awaiting her decision on where they would go.

"Shia-san," Kotarou said as he turned to face her. "Misha-san is really… She's really…"

She stood calmly, hands clasped at her front. Her head was bowed and her eyes closed. She looked like even she was about to cry.

"Kotarou-san… do you know what happens to angels and demons who fail their exams too many times…?" she asked. She sounded reluctant to continue on, but was pushing herself to do it.

"Huh?"

"I didn't think that Misha-san would tell you," Shia said. She actually smiled and laughed a little when she said that. "She wouldn't have wanted to worry you."

"Worry… me…?" Kotarou repeated her. _What would I have to worry about…_

"The truth is…" Shia began, then stopped. She turned away from him, as if struggling with the decision of telling him whatever it was that she wanted to say.

"Misha-san gave up on being an angel the day the two of you stopped talking."

Kotarou felt something in his chest tighten. Misha had given up on being an angel? That was the one thing in the world that she never would have done. No matter how many times she was beaten down, or what got in her way, she still gave it her best effort.

"You're lying!"

"No. I'm not."

"You… have to be…"

"Misha-san told me herself," she explained. "She said, 'If I can't even make him happy, then I don't deserve to be an angel'. Her sister visited a few days later, and I'm sure that Misha said told her then."

"Misha-san would never give up trying to be an angel!" Kotarou protested.

She sighed softly.

" When an apprentice angel fails too many exams they disappear," Shia finished, her tone firm. "Angels and demons aren't human, we are not alive in the same sense as you are, so we can't 'die'… but it's very similar."

_Similar to death…_

The tightness in his chest suddenly felt like it was crushing him, slowly, to death, as if it wanted him to suffer as mush as possible before everything ended. The thought of Misha dying was at least ten times worse than her going to Heaven. And for his sake, as well… What was Shia trying to accomplish by telling him this? Did she have to? Or was it just her demon nature beginning to show, and she was telling him so that she could enjoy his pain.

"And here I thought you had no sense of being a demon," a very familiar voice came in, like a whisper on the wind. "I guess there are a few traces still left."

Kotarou spun around to face the owner of the voice. It was "Nyaa".

"You…" Kotarou breathed.

"I thought that you would not be coming back," Shia said softly, faintly smiling. She shook her head. "But, you are wrong, Klaus. I did not tell him to hurt him."

"Still, it's better off that that useless angel dropped out," he said as he entered into the apartment from the veranda.

Shia's smile grew a touch.

"Indeed," she agreed.

Kotarou turned back to Shia. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel, hearing her say those things about Misha, but he was certain that he growing rage was justifiable. That was a horrible thing to say. Misha was a bit of a screw up, but she also had so many good qualities. If she had tried, she could have become a great angel.

He almost laughed at himself for a moment. He, himself, had just been bad-mouthing her, and now he was, albeit silently, coming to her defense.

"Will you come back now?" 'Klaus' demanded.

Shia shook her head. "I am sorry, but no."

"You know what will happen to you if you don't," he said, his voice low enough to be a growl.

She nodded again. "Yes."

"Shia-san?"

Kotarou examined Shia closely. He suddenly became aware of how pale she had been looking lately. And she had been more tired that usual in the past few days. While she used to handle a busy shift at the tricot, lately she had been out of breath and nearly falling asleep.

_Maybe she's supposed to be in Hell to stay healthy…_ he thought curiously. _But then… that would mean that she's leaving, too. And I… I can't lose her, too!_

"Shia-san!"

"Don't worry, Kotarou-san," she said calmly, coming to his sides. She placed her hands on his shoulders and smiled sweetly at him. "Nothing will happen to me."

"_Something_ will," the blond demon spoke up.

Shia ignored him and continued, "Misha-san had Ayanokoji-san give me a present before she left."

She reached into her shirt and began to tug on a chain. She pulled it out, and showed him the small charm that was on it.

The charm was small, but very beautiful. Kotarou had never seen anything like it before. It was a rose made of gems: rubies for the petals, and emeralds for the stem and two leaves. There was a strange glow surrounding it that was neither light nor dark.

"Wh-What it is?" he asked curiously.

Shia just smiled.

"What are you doing, Shia!" Klaus bellowed.

"It will make sure that I am always healthy," she responded. "And that Misha-san will return one day."

"Huh?" Kotarou blinked at her. "Return…?"

"Yes."

"Take that off!"

Again, Shia just smiled at him.

"No."

"Shia!"

He lunged for her.

A soft gasp tore itself from Shia's lips as the charm began to glow brightly. She made a few sounds of pain, then collapsed to the ground, hugging herself.

"Shia-san!" Kotarou gasped, kneeling down at her side. "Shia-san! What's wrong?"

"Shia! Take it off!" Klaus yelled.

* * *

To start, I decided to go back to my "original" form. The first nine chapters of Moonlight Demon originally had the same "how to" titles that the chapters/episodes in the series had. I also am trying to find lyrics that are suitable for each chapter. It's harder than I thought it would be. I changed a lot in this chapter, too,because now that I've read the manga fully,I thought about some things. Like, say, how Klaus left Shia at the train station. But I figured when word reached that Misha left(I figured that somehow it would), he'd try to come back for her. Things like that. I also wanted to make everything go much more smoothly. There's a lot to reconsider in the story. I want to fill in the holes.

Moonlight Demon's sequel story, I know, is anticipated by the fans of this story, who have already completed it. So! To everyone who got this far for reading, please submit your review to me with an answer to the following question: would you like to begin reading the sequel?


	3. How to Find Your way Back Home

_Unfortunately, I couldn't find  
any lyrics to go with this song.  
I'm really sorry.  
If anyone can find lyrics, or can come up with a 4-line poem  
please send it to me. _

Thank you.

One, How to Find Your way Back Home

"He finally replied! Su!" Misha declared as she burst into the townhouse, proudly flashing off her most recent letter from Takashi.

Despite the fact that she and Takashi had been corresponding for a little over three years, Misha never failed to treat each and every letter that he sent her as if it was the very first from him. And despite the fact that she had said "finally", the truth was that this letter had come less than two weeks after the last one that she had sent to him. It went that way often, though. Once a month they each sent a letter to the other, replying to questions that were in the last letter, giving small updates on what was happening in their lives.

Though, while Takashi's letters were always honest, Misha found herself having to take an extra day or so to alter what had been going on in her life. Takashi's life was full of normal human teenage things; Misha was a half demon in training. She doubted that if she was completely honest with him that he would listen, and if he did, he probably would want to stop having anything to do with her. So while the process of altering her life was more complicated, it was worth it.

"Yahoo! Su!"

"Hey, Misha! Stop yelling! The neighbors will complain about us again!" Mango complained from inside the kitchen.

"Aya-chan! It finally came! Su!" Misha declared as she burst into the living room.

A young teenager sat on the couch in the living room. Her aqua hair was tightly tied back into a pony tail and hung in curls behind her. Her red eyes were filled with an everlasting curiosity, much like a cat's. She smiled at Misha when she entered the room, and the smile was absolutely devilish, as if she had secret plans to do _something_.

"So it's finally here is it? Nyah?" she questioned.

Misha bounced onto the couch, and snuggled herself into a good reading position. Aya, of course, did the same, except for the fact that she was snuggled against Misha so that she could read over her shoulder.

Misha smiled as she opened the letter, and that smile broadened as she read through it. There were details about everyone's lives in each of his letters. He obviously took great care in making sure that she did not miss out on a single detail of their lives. After all, she had promised to return one day. She still wanted to be a part of their lives, even though she had cut off all contact to anyone else. She wanted that, and he knew it. That was why he always took such care in letting her know everything.

And as usual, his letter ended with the same question that it always did: "When are you coming home?" She never replied to that question. She couldn't. At first it had been because she had no clue when she was going to come back, but then it became about the fact that she did not want anyone to know when she was coming back. She wanted to surprise him, and everyone else.

"It's good that this one came when it did," Aya commented with a laugh. "Any later, and we would have missed it."

"Tee hee hee hee… Yeah. Su," Misha agreed.

Aizou had announced it only two days ago, that the Haven was going to move to Japan. According to her, Misha had finally completed her training, and she was ready to return to Japan. She could make up for all of her mistakes now. She could see Takashi and the others. She could tell Kotarou that she was sorry for hurting him. She could finally give making him happy another try. She had finally reached her goal, and now she could do everything that she had wanted to get done as an angel, but couldn't.

That was why she had become a half demon, after all. She wanted to be able to do all of those things, but as an angel she had been unable to do them. For whatever reason, she just couldn't. Now, with all of the training that she had received, she would be able to do it.

"I can't wait," Aya admitted, biting her lip. She looked away. "I've never actually been to Japan before."

Misha tilted her head. "Really? Su?"

She smiled a little, embarrassed. "Y-Yeah. Even though I'm Japanese, I was born here in America, so I've never been there."

"She's hardly slept these past few nights," Mango sighed as she came into the room. She's been so excited about the trip."

Misha glanced over to Mango. The silver-haired woman was smiling softly as she watched them.

Every member of the Haven was different. Aya was a half-demon, half-human, and had been born that way. Aizou had been born as a demon, but became half through the same methods she had used to turn Misha into a half-demon. But Mango, she was different from them. While she had the capabilities to become a pure angel in cycles, she was not a half-demon. Rather, she was a fallen angel. Somehow she had managed not to be destroyed by Heaven and God in the process.

Of course, Mango was different from what Misha had thought a fallen demon was. She was so much like Shia in that way. Despite the fact that she was not in God's good graces, she was kind, and was always ready to make someone happy. She was the image of the perfect angel… except for the part where she had abandoned God.

"I've barely slept, too," Misha confessed. "Su."

"Well, be sure to get a good night's rest tonight," she instructed as she turned to walk back to the kitchen. "Tomorrow's going to be a busy day for us all."

Misha smiled sheepishly and nodded. Mango was right. Tomorrow, after a lengthy flight, she would be reunited with everyone again. The thought made her nervous, but also very excited. She would get to see everyone again. She could try to correct everything.

She _would_.

"Tee hee hee hee hee… Suu…"

"Nyaah…"

----------

Kotarou sighed heavily as he pushed himself to his feet. A glance at the clock on the wall told him that it was well past eleven. He sighed again. He had an unusually large amount of homework for the night, and he had barely been able to start. Already, he knew that he was going to have to pull an all-nighter just to get it all done in time for class.

Again, he sighed.

The apartment was empty, except for his own presence. His father was pulling another all-nighter at work, he guessed. Honestly, he had not heard from his father for the past two or three days. He would have been worried if he had not known that he was working on a really big project.

Kotarou made his way out of his bedroom and to the kitchen. If he was going to be up all night, then it would be best to get something to snack on and a drink now so that he could focus for the rest of the night.

He hesitated at the kitchen door, and looked around.

For some reason, it was nights like these that made him think of Misha the most. It had been three very long years since her abrupt departure, and still he found himself constantly reminded of her. Whenever he was up late, studying, he remembered the times when she would come to his bedroom window to bother him. Of course, in Misha's mind she was always just trying to help. She never stopped for a moment to think that she was bothering him. She just wanted to help, and to make him happy.

That was just Misha.

Kotarou shook his head as if that would clear away all of the thoughts he had of her.

_She's not coming back,_ he reminded himself.

A few months after she had left, he came to that conclusion. Misha had sent no messages, and made no attempts to keep in contact with Shia or with himself. She left all of them behind, and went on with her new life.

If she even had one.

Shia faithfully believed that Misha would return to them again. The night that she placed on that strange necklace from Misha was all the more proof, she claimed. Despite that fact that she had removed all of them from her life meant nothing more than she was trying her hardest for them. It did not matter how negatively he saw the situation, she would say the complete opposite. She could not be persuaded to think otherwise.

Silently, he wished that he could have believed that. He wished that he could have had more faith in Misha. If she really did return to them one day, she would find out that he had not waited for her.

_She left,_ he told himself. _She didn't even say goodbye. Why should I wait for her when she didn't even say goodbye…?_

Kotarou ran a hand through his now shoulder length hair, and froze. He had grown out his hair so that it looked exactly like Kotaroh's had when he was alive.

It did not matter how many times he told himself that he would not wait for Misha, or how hard he tried to move on, he _was_ waiting for his angel. He wanted her to come back so that he could show her how much he loved her. He would do anything for her. He would even make himself look like the love of her life, if that meant that she would come back to him.

He missed her.

"Misha-san…" he said softly, bowing his head. He loved her so much that it hurt. She was the one person that could hurt him so much and he could only love her in return. The thought tore a ragged chuckle from his throat and brought tears to his eyes.

"I hate you so much…"

----------

"I'm tired. Nyah," Aya whined as she bounced alongside Misha.

They had been in Japan for three days already. The days had been spent inside their hotel room as they tried to adjust to the time differences between the two countries. Misha and Aya had been the only ones to go out in that time, however. Both had too much energy to stay indoors for long, and eventually Aizou and Mango became annoyed with their antics and kicked them out.

"The sun feels good," Misha declared as she raised her arms towards the sky. "Su!"

"Yeah," Aya agreed. She smiled a little. "It rained the past few days. I almost wondered if we would ever get to see the sun again…"

Misha laughed at that. The smaller demon could be so dramatic at times.

She glanced over to Aya, and caught her reflection in a store window. The sight made her stop for a moment.

When she had become a half demon, Aizou had fully explained what would happen. They had to perform an old demon ritual, which had been slightly altered. Originally the ritual allowed demons to drain angels of their life, and tainted that Holy blood so that it could be safely consumed by them. By altering a few details of the ritual -- Misha had no idea what it was that was altered -- the effects changed. Demons and angels could exchange their life forces, and somehow they became human.

There was one side effect that came from using the altered ritual: her body would not be stable. Swayed by the moon's cycles, her body would easily switch over between being demonic and being angelic.

Every month, for a handful of days, she became a demon. There were no changes to her personality in that time, as she had expected, but there had been a few physical changes. Both her wings and her hair became black during those few days. As time passed after the cycle had ended, they slowly lightened and returned to their original colours.

Despite the fact that the moon had been full well over a week ago, her hair was still a shade too close to black for her liking.

There were also other changes to her appearance, though those ones had been conscious. She still wore one of the bunny clips in her hair, though these days she had been wearing it less and less. When she did wear it, it was usually attached to a hair elastic. She had also stopped wearing anything that could be considered "cute" -- especially when it involved ruffles. She also preferred darker colours and jeans to anything white, bright and dressy.

If she was lucky Takashi would still recognize her when she saw him.

"That's it, isn't it?" Aya spoke up suddenly, pointing to something ahead of them.

Misha looked to where Aya was pointing. A large sign hung above the street. Written on it was "Café tricot". She smiled a little and nodded.

"That's it, Aya-chan. Su," she confirmed.

"Are we going in?"

"Huh?"

Aya tilted her head to the side in an attempt to be cute. "I _said, _'are we going in'? You know Aizou wants you to see them some time in the next few days. Since we're here, why not right now?"

Misha sighed softly. She had a point.

"Alright. But, school just got out a little while ago. Su," she agreed. "So I bet no one's there yet."

Takashi's letters were coming in handy now. Because of all of the details that he had placed within them, she was well aware of the group's activities. Even now, three years later, they all came to the Tricot every day after school. Shia still worked there, too. At the very least, she could greet her now.

"We're going in, right? Nyah?" Aya asked, looking at Misha questioningly.

She smiled again, and nodded. "Yup."

She hesitated a moment, feeling her gut twist nervously, before leading the way towards the café.

She was going to see Shia in the first time for three years. Would she be greeted with open arms, or would she be coldly turned away? She _had_ left every one quickly, and she had not bothered to keep in touch with everyone. The only one that she had kept in contact with was Takashi, and that had been done in secret. If he kept his word to her, then none of them knew that they had been "pen pals".

Aya raced ahead of her suddenly and burst into the café.

"Hiyo! Aya-chan's in da house!" she declared.

Misha came in a moment later. The café was almost empty, having only three other customers besides Aya and herself. Behind the counter was Takashi's uncle, and Shia stood almost next to Aya. Her best guess was that the young half demon had nearly rammed either herself or the door into the dark-haired woman when she burst in.

"Welcome to the Tricot," Shia said in her soft-spoken voice. She glanced at Misha and smiled. "Welcome to the Tricot."

She was silent for a moment, staring at her. Shia had aged a few years since they had last met. She had always wondered if the ritual had made Shia human, as Aizou had promised. Because Shia had lacked a lot of demonic energy, there had been less to take, and it would have been easy for the ritual to complete on her side.

"I'll take your order in a moment."

"Ah, yes," Misha squeaked, bowing slightly.

Shia gave her a strange look before walking over to Takashi's uncle and handing him the order of the other customers.

"Nya ha haa…" Aya chuckled and she spun around to face Misha, blushing a little. "I made everyone look at me."

Because of her strange appearance on her demonic cycle -- the blue hair and red eyes -- Aya had never liked being stared at. She always said that it made her self-conscious, and she hated it.

"Let's sit down and wait, okay?" Misha suggested.

Aya smiled sheepishly and nodded in agreement.

"I guess she didn't recognize you. Nyah," Aya commented once they were seated in a booth.

"I guess not. Su."

"So, what do you wanna get? Nyah?"

"Cake. Su."

Aya smiled at that. "Cake sounds good. How about cheesecake? Do they have it here?"

"I think so," Misha replied.

Aya's eyes traveled around the café and at the other customers, while Misha settled for keeping her eyes directed at the table before her. She could not make herself feel comfortable. What would Shia say when she realized who she was?

"Can I take your order?" Shia's voice snapped Misha out of her thoughts.

Both half-demons glanced up at the dark-haired waitress and smiled.

"You order," Aya said.

"Y-Yeah." Misha nodded meekly. "Ah… oh… um… Cheesecake?"

Shia nodded and scribbled it down before asking, "chocolate or strawberry sauce?"

"I-chi-go!" Aya chirped. "Strawberry! Strawberry! Can we? Pretty please, Misha-chan?"

Misha's heart skipped a beat when she heard her own name being called by the smaller half-demon. Shia would know. She had to know.

"Mi… sha-chan?" she repeated, staring directly at her.

"Tee hee hee hee hee… Suuuu…" Misha laughed nervously. She rubbed her head and continued to laugh. "Um, hiyas, Shia-chan. Su."

"Misha-san…" Shia repeated her name. She looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled softly. "Welcome home."

"Ah, thank you! Su!"

"Kotarou-san and the others will be here shortly," she mentioned. "If you're waiting for them, that is."

"Yup. Thank you!" Aya, feeling a little left out, broke into the conversation. "Hey hey, can I have a milkshake, too?"

"Of course," Shia replied, smiling at her. "Would you like anything, Misha-san?"

Misha smiled back, feeling relieved. Shia's response was so casual, she almost felt as though no time had passed since they last spoke.

"Just water. Su."

Shia smiled, nodded, then walked away to deliver their order.

When she was gone, Misha smiled at her companion. So far things had gone better than she had expected. Maybe seeing the others now would be just as warm and open as hers had been.

"I'm so nervous," Misha confessed, biting her lip.

"You'll do fine," Aya encouraged her. She perked up suddenly as the front door's bell jingled loudly.

"Hey, Shia-san!"

* * *

Heheh. I'm sorry that this one took so long to get up. The response this time is really encouraging. I'm working as hard as I can to get the newer chapters up and done. I'm also about halfway done the third chapter of TDS.

Angelic Tales now has a message board/forum. More often than not you will find my fanfiction has been updated on there before this site. Please go take a look at it. The link is in my profile.


	4. How to Reunite With Old Friends

Two, How to Reunite With old Friends

Aya perked up suddenly as the café's front door's bell jingled loudly. "Nya?"

"Hey, Shia-san!"

Misha's heart skipped a beat when she heard the familiar voice ring throughout the café. She turned around slowly, doing her best to ensure that only her eyes peeked over the top of the booth. Even though she had come this far, even though she knew that she had no choice now but to push forward and to say "hello" to them, she wanted to wait as long as she could. Rushing in to it would be stupid, and she would probably make a fool of herself. Well, even if she took it slowly, she knew that she would make a fool of herself in one way or another, but at least this way she could be mentally prepared for it.

"Good afternoon, Ayanokoji-san," Shia greeted him.

Misha's eyes peered over the top of the seat. Takashi was still standing in the doorway. He had grown his hair out just a little, but that was hardly noticeable in comparison to how much he had grown. The last time that she had seen him, she had looked down at him. Now, she was sure that she would hurt her neck just trying to keep eye-contact with him.

"How are you today?" he continued on with the pleasantries as he stepped into the café.

The others followed after him like some sort of _posse_. Misha studied each of them carefully, noting the differences in their appearances, and trying to remember what Takashi had told her in his letters.

Hiroshi hadn't changed at all, except that he had grown a few inches. The same went for Kaoru, though of course she had grown in _other_ areas as well. Koboshi had barely grown at all. She had changed her hairstyle though. She'd kicked the cat eats and had gone for a whole new look. It was actually rather cute on her.

Kotarou was the last one to enter the café, and a few moments delayed, at that. But when he entered, and Misha saw him, her heart stopped. She had read about it in his letters, but she had never imagined that his changes were so dramatic. Everything about him was no longer "Kotarou", but rather, "Kotaroh". He had grown his hair out just enough and kept in in the same style, and the way he carried himself, like a puppy that had been kicked around by the world. Even his eyes held that familiar depressed and haunted gaze in them.

"Which one is Ayanokoji-san?" Aya asked. "Ah, I bet he's that cute blonde one, right?"

Misha blinked and sat back down in her seat. She stared at Aya, who stared back at her with wide, curious eyes.

It was too much to take in all at once. Way too much. Even though she was hesitating, she could have handled it all if it was only the others that she was facing. If it was only them, it could have been simpler. She could apologize to them for her abrupt departure and try to start over again.

But it was not that simple. When she saw Kotarou, it was not him that she was seeing. It would have been hard enough to face him, to apologize for not seeing him before--but now, that felt like an impossible task. It would not be Kotarou that she faced now. It would be wrong to go to him and apologize when she couldn't even look at him and see _him_ yet.

Misha lowered her gaze to the table. Why couldn't she just see Kotarou for once?

"I can't…" she said softly.

"Eh? Misha-chan?" Aya questioned. "What's wrong?"

Her hands clenched in her lap. She remained quiet. What was she supposed to say? How could she explain it properly? Though she knew that Aya would most likely understand what she meant, she felt as though saying it aloud would let everyone know what a failure she was.

"I-It's nothing," Misha stammered, forcing a small smile on her lips. "Really! I'm okay!"

"Ehh? Are you sure that you're okay?" Aya questioned. She stared at Misha for a moment longer before she sighed. "Well… If you're fine, then get going."

Misha raised her eyes to meet Aya's. The blue-haired demon laughed softly.

"Something along those lines would be what Aizou-san would say right now, right?"

Misha smiled sheepishly, but nodded in agreement. Aya was absolutely right. Despite her empathic powers, Aizou would have shown her no sympathy for her mixed feelings. She knew what had to be done, she knew how to get it done, so there was no excuse for her not to be stalling.

Unless, of course, there was an actual reason that made her incapable of walking up to them and saying "hello".

Misha glanced over at the front where Takashi and the others had gathered. None of them had noticed that she was there, or if they had, they obviously had not recognized her. That also meant that Shia was keeping quiet and allowing Misha to do this at her own pace. That was a huge relief.

"Misha-chan?"

Aya's gentle call went unanswered as Misha's eyes settled on Kotarou.

There was a definite difference in the Kotarou that she had known three years ago and the one that she was seeing now. He did not laugh, nor did he smile along with the others. He just sat there, dazed, with a blank expression on his face. He seemed _dead_.

It disturbed her to see him like that.

"Go." This time Aya's voice reached her.

Without looking at her companion Misha pushed herself to her feet. In no way was she prepared for what she was about to do, but she had no other choice now. She had worked hard for, and looked forward to, this very moment. If she lost her nerve now then all of that work would become meaningless.

She could not let that happen.

"A-Ayano… koji-san…" she said, though her voice quickly trailed off to an inaudible murmur.

Still, that was more than enough.

All of them turned to face her. Misha could only give a meek smile in return under the weight of their gazes.

Five pairs of eyes.

Ten eyes in all.

It was useless to think about that. In fact, that was the most useless information to take note of. But at that moment, while they were all staring at her with their curious, probing eyes, it all suddenly felt _very_ important and _very_ overwhelming.

"A-Ayanokoji-san," she stammered out his name. "I… I, um…"

It was no use. It was too hard to find her voice.

Why…?

"Yo, Cutie," he replied casually.

"Do you know her, Ten-kun?" Koboshi said softly, glancing at him.

Takashi grinned at Misha and leaned forward in his seat. "Of course I do."

"Really?" Kaoru spoke up. Her eyes roamed over Misha curiously. She frowned and turned away. "Nice to meet you."

"I, um…" Still unable to find her voice, Misha gave in to the awkward silence and looked down. She wanted to give them all a proper hello. She didn't want to start out as "strangers". Her appearance hadn't even changed _that_ drastically, had it? They all should have recognized her.

"Undoubtedly, that is the voice of an angel," Hiroshi said, quickly breaking the silence. He got up and slowly walked over to her. She was suddenly reminded of one of those low-budget movies, over dramatic and filled with bad actors.

"Misha-san?" he questioned.

Of course he would recognize her. She had practically ignored him in the past, but he continued to worship the ground that she walked on. It only made sense that he recognize her now, even if no one else did.

"Y-Yes?" she replied in a small squeak.

There was a collective gasp from the others. Kaoru visibly flinched, probably choking on the tea that she had just begun to sip at.

"It is you!" Hiroshi exclaimed.

Misha forced herself to smile. She had never been shy and meek before, so why was she now? As nervous as she felt, it was best to stand up and face them. Whatever was in store for her, she would receive it knowing that she had brought it upon herself. So far, it was only surprise. Kotarou had not greeted her yet. She was not expecting that to be a pleasant experience.

"Y-Yeah. Su," she replied. She stopped and bit her lip. She had been trying to leave "su" out of her speech for this. "I mean… Y-Yeah."

"You… You've really changed, Misha-san," Koboshi commented. She still sounded surprised.

Misha took that as a good thing. The longer that they were shocked, the more pleasant this could be. Reality had a nice way of slipping from you when you were shocked. Of course, it usually came rushing back quite quickly.

"Tee hee hee hee…" She rubbed the back of her head. That covered everyone but Kotarou. He was the only one that had not said anything to her yet. "Ah, I guess so."

Why isn't he saying anything?

Takashi stood up. Close up, Misha realized how tall he actually had gotten. It was the angle at which she had been able to see him from that made him look so tall. Yes, he had grown, and was taller than her now, but that was only by an inch or two.

"Misha-chan, welcome home," he said softly. There was something about the look her was giving her, and the soft tone that he used when he spoke, that brought a heavy blush to her face.

She nodded quickly. Her eyes met with his, and a smile formed on her face. "It's good to be back, Takashi-kun."

He extended his hand out to her for a handshake. At least, that was what she thought it would be when she took his hand. To her surprise, he used his grip on her to pull her close to him. His arms surrounded her in a light embraced. Slowly, and blushing deeply, she returned it.

"Ayanokoji! Why are you touching Misha-san?" Hiroshi bellowed.

"They're unusually close." Misha heard Koboshi comment to Kaoru. Kaoru mumbled something in response, and it was probably better that she couldn't catch it.

Misha was the first one to push away, though reluctantly so. Takashi's arms had been strong and warm. She felt safe with them locked around her. She liked the feeling. But, there were other matters to attend to. Aya was still watching over her, and the weight of those crimson eyes were not going unnoticed as Misha stood there.

She hesitantly turned to Kotarou, though one hand remained touching Takashi's upper arm.

"Ko… Hi…" It was hard to decide how to greet him. No, it was easy. She _wanted_ to say 'Kotarou-kun', but that was just what she wanted. He still had said nothing to her. She needed to be as formal as possible with him. "Higuchi-san, it's good to see you again."

For the first time since she had approached them, Kotarou looked away. Quietly, she could barely hear his voice, he replied, "welcome back," before he gathered his books together and stood up. Without another word, he turned and walked away.

Her grip tightened on Takashi's arm. That was hardly a greeting. That was no way to greet someone after you had not seen them in three years. After going through so much with someone, to just leave it at that…

I knew it, she said silently. _I knew it. He hates me. Kotarou-kun hates me._

, she said silently. 

Ignoring Kotarou, or possibly just trying to cheer her up, Takashi said,

"What's up with the formalities, anyways, Misha-chan?"

Misha welcomed the distraction. Her heart ached to watch Kotarou just walk away like that. But there was nothing that she could do to stop him. Not at this point, anyways. And there were always more chances. She would have other chances to see him and to talk to him.

"Kotarou," Koboshi called after him. She jumped up and chased him out of the café. She left her books where they were, probably in hopes to bring him back. Or perhaps not. Maybe she just wanted to see how he was doing.

"Don't let Higuchi get to you, Misha-san," Hiroshi said softly, coming between Takashi and herself. He smiled at her. "He's just like that these days."

"Oh…" She forced a smile, and willed it to reach her eyes. He seemed to accept it, which was good. "Then, I won't let it bother me."

"Misha-chaaaaaan," Aya's whined reached her moments before the aqua-haired teen pounced on her. "You forgot all about me, didn't youu?"

"Aya-chan!" Misha gasped before the both of them toppled to the ground.

----------

Why…

Kotarou could hardly wait to get out of the café. Staying there was way too much. He had to get out, and away from _her_.

Why are you…

"Kotarou," Koboshi's voice called after him as he rushed through the door.

He did not look back. He couldn't. If he did, he would see Misha, and he _really_ did not want to see her. He was angry, to the point that he was trembling. Though at the same time, it hurt to see her, and he shook from that. His heart was aching, but it tightened with rage. A million thoughts passed through his mind, but none of it made any sense. He couldn't make any sense out of it. Why was it so confusing?

"_Misha-san…_"

"Kotarou! Wait!" Koboshi called, starting to sound frustrated.

He stopped. His back was to her, so he couldn't see her face. He was sure that it would be flushed and angry, though. Whenever she got annoyed by something, she always got herself worked up, and her face flushed.

"Kotarou… Kotarou, why did you take off like that?" she asked.

"No reason," he mumbled. Could she hear him? He doubted it, but he really didn't care.

Misha was back. Officially. That was the only thing that he could think of at that moment. For three years, she had been gone. Out of sight, but hardly out of mind. She had always taken over his thoughts. It did not matter what he was doing, he always thought of her. He could remember all of the times they had spent together, and he would smile. But just as easily, the thoughts that reminded him of _why_ she had been there ruined it all for him.

She had never been there for his sake. Never.

"You're lying," she accused.

He couldn't blame her for thinking that. She was right, after all.

"It doesn't matter," he countered.

"Ye s it does," she countered. Her heard her take a step closer. "It matters a lot. Especially to me. I'm your girlfriend, Kotarou!"

"……"

"Kotarou," she called out to him again.

He shook his head and glanced back at her. "It's nothing, Koboshi. You don't need to worry about me over it." He fell quiet for a moment, then looked away. "I was just a little shocked to see her."

Koboshi sighed softly, then broke out into a quiet laugh.

"Yeah, me too. I couldn't believe that was Misha-san," she agreed.

He heard the gravel crunching under her feet as she walked closer. He held still. For some reason, his first instinct was always to run away these days. If anyone came too close, he wanted to push them away. He wanted to push that person as far away from himself as he could, and then hide from them. But Koboshi had always been patient with him. She had always stood there by his side, as close as she could be without making him uncomfortable. Slowly, she had found her way right beside him, and able to hold him.

Koboshi had always been there for him. Unlike Misha.

"Don't let it get to you too much, Kotarou," she said softly, her arms wrapping around his middle.

He nodded. "I know…"

Her face pressed against his back, and he could feel her smile. That brought a small smile to his face.

"Thank you, Koboshi," he said quietly. He lightly rested his hands on Koboshi's. "Thank you."

Why did you have to come back? he silently asked himself. _Why, Misha-san, why? Why now?_

he silently asked himself. 

It had been hard enough to get this far. It had been hard enough to let himself open up to someone else, even if they had been friends for most of their lives. Misha was the first person since his mother's death that he had _actually_ let in. She was also the first person to hurt him so deeply. It was cruel.

Why couldn't you just stay away…

* * *

Ah, so, how did people like that chapter? Was it worth the wait? I really, truly am sorry... it's the shortest chapter, as well. Ah ha ha... My most sincere apologies. It seems that adding in scenes is giving me more trouble than I thought it would in the beginning. Anyways, there's at least 4 more pages in this chapter than there were in the original. Good enough, eh?

I ask you all to keep on reading. The next chapter will be posted as soon as possible.


	5. How to Face One's Past

Ah, it's been much, much too long since I last updated. Even though I'm basing each chapter on the originals, I'm finding it hard to be pleased with my own writing. I'm trying to take out scenes, and add in new ones. I actually wrote an entire scene between Misha and Takashi from his point of view, then decided that I really didn't like it. Heh. (At the same time, I'm trying to get back into Magenta Rain, because that story, too, has gotten a decent response.)

Well, here's chapter threee. And thankfully, it is also the longest of the chapter right now. Isn't that nice? You get a lot to read today, then. I hope that all of my fans will forgive me for taking so long to get this chapter done! (Thank you, to those who do -- I just settled in to the a apartment!)

And here's a special hello to Myu-chan, Seena, and Yuki! Thank you for talkin' with me so often, coming to my forum, and/or watching(and commenting on) my AMVs.

* * *

Chapter Three, How to Face One's Past

"Inevitably, all of that led to your failure as an angel," Aizou's voice rang through Misha's head. "Though now, none of that really matters. You can never become an angel, no matter what progress you make in that direction." The elder half-demon let a soft sigh pass through her lips, and she stopped for a moment, looking thoughtful. "You knew all of that when you agreed to become one of us, though. So there's no point in saying it like this…"

Misha stood silently, only a few feet away from Aizou in the front hall of their hotel room. She bowed her head and nodded quickly. It was the same old lecture that she had heard too many times over. Every time it was the same thing. She could almost recite it, word for word, as Aizou did -- though she would never dare to say it aloud in the elder half-demon's presence. She could never be ungrateful to her.

Besides, sometimes she really did need these lectures to get her back on track.

And after the way that Kotarou shrugged her off, she was really needing it.

"Anyways," Aizou continued, "Aya told me that your chance to greet Higuchi and Ayanokoji came the other day?"

A smile spread across her face, and she nodded happily at the memory. Not all of it had gone 'according to plan', but it had gone fairly well as far as Takashi was concerned. At the very least, she was going to be that positive

"Uh huh. I got to see everyone all at once! Su! It was great!"

Something flickered in Aizou's eyes, and she stared hard at Misha for a moment, as if trying to decide whether or not to take Misha's word or not.

"Is something…" Aizou seemed to hesitate for a moment, before she shook her head and decided against her question. Instead she went for the direct approach and said, "what aren't you telling me?"

Misha stood there for a moment, dumbfounded. She should have been used to her smiles being called on by now, but she wasn't. Even though Aizou, Mango, and even Aya always knew better than that, and it was more often than not that they called her on it, she was still surprised. Somehow, she had always been able to fool everyone with that smile of hers. Everyone had always accepted it from her, like Hiroshi had before. Why couldn't people just take that from her and not question her? Though it was refreshing… it also tended to be so frustrating.

"Kota--" she stopped herself in time to correct herself "Higuchi-san… He really seemed to, um, not want me there. Su." She laughed nervously. "I think I kinda botched that one. Suuu…"

She rubbed her arm, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious. Everyone had been working so hard to help her reach that point, and she had let them all down in an instant. She hesitated, and in that moment, everything had been ruined.

Bowing her head lower, Misha mumbled out a brief apology. She could not even look at Aizou right now.

"Well, it should have been expected," Aizou replied.

Misha's head shot up, and she stared at her with wide eyes. "Ehh?"

The elder demon's returned stare was calm and reserved.

"You _did_ take off all of a sudden, on all of them," she said. "You should have expected that at least one of them would have been upset by that. Especially Higuchi. I'm sure that as far as he is concerned, you abandoned him once you learned the truth."

Misha opened her mouth to fight back against her, but her voice failed her. She was right. She was completely right, and there was nothing that Misha could say to defend herself while she agreed with that. It would have been a futile and pointless battle that she could never win.

Aizou smiled softly and took a few steps closer.

"Cheer up, Misha. This is your chance to change everything." She smiled a little more, which was strange for her. "Don't let it slip away. Remember that you only have two months left. Perhaps even less."

Misha stared at her for a moment. Was she serious? Was that really Aizou? That kind smile was nothing but a stranger to Misha. She had never seen it before.

"O-Okay. Su."

----------

Misha stretched her arms up towards the sky before she sighed and settled back on the park bench. Ever since she had parted ways with Aizou, she had been in the park. She had walked, sat around, and watched as the children played their games around the playground. She had watched and watched them, for who knows how many hours. They were all so innocent. So, so very innocent.

Thinking about Aizou's reminder sent a shudder through her. Not even these children would be spared when that time came. She shuddered again, and hugged herself. She suddenly felt cold.

_They'll all…_ She could not even finish her thought. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to force back those thoughts. Her eyes slowly slid open again as another thought struck her. _I only have two months to make things up with Kotarou-kun. Only two months, before… it's too late._

How exactly was she supposed to do it, anyways? As long as she had known Kotarou, she had never been a very good angel. In fact, she had been useless. She had always messed up. She could never properly protect him from anything, not even other humans. How much had really changed from then to now? At this very moment, could she make him happy?

_Can I really do it?_ she silently wondered, staring at the ground.

She closed her eyes and sighed softly. Aizou and the others seemed to think that she was fully capable of it. But what was holding her back? What had always held her back? Even when it had been "Kotaroh" that she was trying to help out, things had not gone well. She had driven him to kill himself, so that they would never be parted. Unfortunately the attempt had been in vain, because his soul would not go to the same place that she would. Angels existed in a different part of Heaven than where the human souls rested.

She shook her head, trying to shake those thoughts loose. _Thinking about Kotaroh-kun now won't help me!! And I gotta stop comparing him and Kotarou-kun! That's what I did wrong before!_

"Nyaaah?"

Misha's eyes snapped open and she looked to her right, to where the voice had come from.

"Aya-chan?"

She gasped softly. She had honestly been expecting to see Aya standing next to the bench, but it wasn't her. It was Nya. He sat on the bench in his cat form, staring hard at her with his cold amber eyes. Misha shivered a little under his intense gaze, feeling a bit intimidated by him. There was something so accusing about the way that he was staring at her, she felt a little guilty.

_It's true then,_ he finally began to speak, _you became a half-breed. What a desperate move._

Misha said and did nothing. She just continued to stare at him.

_I heard a great deal of talk about you last night. I wanted to see the fallen angel for myself._

Still she remained silent.

_You stupid, useless angel!_ he suddenly roared at her. _Doing such stupid things, turning a demon into a human… Why did you take Shia from me?!_

"Shia-chan… Shia-chan was gonna die! Su!" Misha protested. "You said it, too! 'Cause of me, Shia-chan was gonna die and she was gonna let it happen. Suu…" She looked away suddenly, withdrawing into her own little world. "It was… It was the only way I could make it up to her. Su! It was my fault she was gonna die…"

_Shia was _mine _until you came in and meddled with things!_

Misha smiled a little when she felt the tears rushing to her eyes. Had she really done something so horrible? Maybe it was to him, but she had done it for Shia. She had nearly killed someone else--and to top it off, Shia was Kotaroh's mother. Somehow, that made her feel worse.

_Do you think that justifies what you--_

"You hurt her more!" she shouted at him, turning to face him. She leaned towards him a little, feeling the anger rising from deep within her. "I saw what you did to her, Nya-chan! You stole her beloved memories away! Su! You took all her happiness away and made her so alone… just for you… Shia-chan was so sad! Su!"

He hissed and bared his fangs at her.

This time, she didn't back down.

"Shia-chan gets to be with so many people now! She can be happy, and-and she won't be alone anymore!!"

_You really don't get it, do you?_ he questioned. He shook his head, then turned around and hopped off of the bench. _Stupid half-breed…_

"But…" she mumbled to herself, blinking back the tears that were still threatening to fall. "I did a good thing, didn't I? Shia-chan… won't be alone any more. And now she can keep on living. Suu… That's a good thing, isn't it? I did the right thing… didn't I?"

She smiled softly to herself, and shook her head. She was sure that she fully understood the situation. Sure, it wasn't nearly as simple as she was trying to make it sound, but she was certain that there was nothing wrong with what she had done. There was nothing wrong with trying to lengthen Shia's lifespan. There was nothing wrong with wanting to give her a chance to be happy and with others for a change.

Nya had taken that all away from her before. He was the one who didn't understand…

----------

Angels were from Heaven. Demons came from Hell. Humans were from a land that existed some place in between the other two realms. Each served under a different alignment: angels were "good", demons were "evil", and humans began as "neutral" -- somewhere along the lines, guided by angels or demons, humans found themselves following that corresponding path. Both the angels and the demons could pass between realms; unfortunately, they could only survive in a realm that was not theirs for so long.

Of course, there were always the exceptions. Fallen angels had the will to keep themselves alive without needing "God's grace" to survive. Then there were the half demons with human blood that had yet to wake to their demonic half, as well as those who never would wake, and they could survive as if they were truly full-blooded humans. The half demons who lived with their demonic side awakened were forced into a different form of life. They had to feed on the 'life energy', the _blood_, of another living being to survive. However they usually isolated themselves from human interaction, and were shunned by all demons. Their existence was truly something pitiful.

There was also one last exception to the three species. A half breed between an angel and a demon. It was bad enough to be a fallen angel, or a half-human demon, but those who were half demon and half angel were nothing more than an abomination that needed to be destroyed. Those who were of mixed blood existed only because the ritual that would give an angel or a demon a human body had been interrupted during the middle of the energy exchange. It was usually because a mistake had been made in the preparations, though more often the reason behind it had been because the PBT of the Demon Council had found out about it and came in to interfere.

Those who willingly attempted to become human were always punished severely.

More severely than the crime of causing a human's untimely death.

Misha's eyes fluttered open.

_Kotaroh-kun…_

Angels, demons, and humans could never peacefully coexist. Even though the angels spent their lives doing nothing but trying to guide humans along the 'right path', they did nothing but pity them. Angels, collectively, seemed to think that they were better than the humans. Real angels were never seen by humans, and they certainly would never be touched by their dirty hands.

Despite the fact that becoming a real angel had been her lifelong goal, Misha had been ready and willing to give it up when Aizou approached her. She had always believed that it was, first and foremost, an angel's duty to protect and care about the humans they guided. But as time passed, she had begun to wonder: how could an angel properly guide someone that they looked down upon so much? Did that not contradict their own beliefs? Is that what becoming a real angel meant?

If it was, then she would not become like the others.

For her beloved Kotaroh.

No, that was not right. Now, she was doing it for Kotarou's sake.

With a heavy sigh, Misha pushed off of the park bench that she had been sitting on. How long had she been in the park for? It had to have been hours, she realized, when she glanced around and found that all of the children that she had been watching before had suddenly disappeared. After Klaus' visit, she had just fallen into a daze, thinking about things that she never really cared for.

Hadn't she shed this useless part of herself three years ago, when she left the country with Aizou? She was supposed to have left behind all of her uncertainty and weaknesses -- or at least by now, she was supposed to have grown out of them. Why was it that suddenly it felt as though the world was crashing down upon her? Why was it that when she looked at Kotarou, she still saw Kotaroh's face?

"I'm so pathetic," she growled at herself. She stood awkwardly near the bench for a moment before she began to walk. She wasn't really paying any attention to what direction it was that she was walking in; she didn't really care where she was headed now. She just couldn't sit still.

The roaring boom of thunder sounded in the distance as if confirming her need to get moving.

She closed her eyes and continued to walk as if she hadn't heard it. There was a second roar that tore through the sky, and this one was louder than the last. It was closer, too. Even if she began to run now she would not be able to escape the rainfall that was soon to be upon her.

_What am I doing?_ she asked herself, coming to a halt. Although she had planned everything out, the fact of the matter was that she had no clue what she was doing, or what she was doing with her life. Even though she was certain of the direction that she needed to move in, she hesitated taking those steps when the time was most crucial.

All she did was run in circles, even when she was in the middle of realizing what she was doing. She knew exactly what it was that she wanted to accomplish, but when it came down to taking action, she refused to do it. And even when she recognized that she was hesitating at the very last second, she failed to brake the cycle. She had always been useless, but after she had started making changes in her life, it just seemed to get worse. No matter what she did, she always made a mistake and screwed things up. And because of those mistakes, she stopped to think her actions over for a longer period of time. But in the end, it all amounted to the same thing; she hesitated, then made the same old mistake all over again.

_Just what am I doing here…?_

----------

Kotarou sighed heavily as he quietly shut his math textbook. He glanced up at his bedroom window and stared at the cloudy sky. Mere moments after the third flash of lightning broke through the sky a heavy downpour had begun, and the loud pitter-patter of rain drops beating against his window echoed throughout the room. He took the noise as an excuse to pause his studying. He was having trouble focusing on them to begin with, this was just the easiest way out.

Ever since she had returned from America, thoughts of Misha had plagued his mind. When she was gone, he had often found himself idly thinking of her, but now it was only getting worse. Misha had returned from America a new woman -- or was that "angel"? He wasn't sure what to call her. From her dyed hair to her rougher, less feminine choice of attire, she looked less like an angel. He was not sure what he would consider her after that. Calling her _demonic_ felt as though he was jumping ahead of himself, because there was nothing truly demonic about her; human seemed more fitting, but as it always had been with Misha, she was no where close to being human.

And then, there was the most infuriating moment of Misha's return that played over and over again in his mind. The way that Takashi had greeted Misha. Every time that he thought about it, he wanted to scream. It had been so friendly and close, as if they were close friends that had not seen one another in years. Half of that was true, as far as he could remember. Misha had never shown all that much interest in anyone but himself. But was he remembering that right? They way that she looked at Takashi, her nervousness, and the way that she smiled when he held her -- it was all so _intimate_.

When had that happened?

He had spent so much time thinking about it for the past few days. Takashi _had_ been the one to see Misha off the day that she had left. He had come into the Tricot and delivered a present to Shia. Perhaps that was not all that had gone on that day. They might have decided to keep in touch. But the blonde had never mentioned anything of the sort, and he had never shown any indication that he and Misha were keeping in touch.

But what else could it have been? He could not think of any other reason that explained their closeness.

Kotarou drew his knees to his chest and sighed. _If it's true, then the reason that he never let any of us know was because he wanted to keep it a secret. Or even, he was keeping it a secret for Misha-san…_ He dropped his chin onto his knees and let out another frustrated sigh. _It was almost like they were a couple…_

In the back of his mind he knew that it was useless to think of such things. Things had _changed_ while she was gone. He was no longer the naïve preteen that she had so carelessly used. He had grown up, and was wise to her lies. He knew better than to sit there and long for her. He knew better.

It was time to wake up, and to change everything. If he continued to act the way that he was acting now, he would only end up bitter, hurt, and angry. And in the process, he would undoubtedly hurt Koboshi, as well.

"Oniichan!" Shino's voice called to him from the hallway. "When are you gonna make dinner?"

He sighed again.

"Soon… Shino, I'll make it soon," he called back.

A moment of silence followed his response. For a moment he had thought that she had walked away, but she finally replied,

"Alright."

He turned his head so that he was looking at the door and waited to watch her shadow disappear from the small beam of light that trickled in under the door. It felt important to him to make sure that she was gone before he shrank back into his own little world. If someone was near, then it wasn't nearly as private. Even though she had no idea what was going on in his mind, and even though the door was shut and she could not see him, he was still bothered.

"Okay, I'll see you then," Shino added suddenly. She finally walked away from his door, and back down the hallway, towards the living room.

_Shino, too,_ he thought. _She's depending on me, too. I can't let either of them down._

----------

_It's raining pretty hard,_ Misha thought to herself as she rested her chin on her knees. She blinked, staring out at the falling rain. She listened to the soft echo of raindrops striking the plastic cave that she had sought shelter in. The playground had been the only half-decent shelter from the rain that she could find when it had began raining and she was still standing around in the park.

She moved one hand, letting it drop down on to the blanketed ground beneath her. She glanced down at the blanket for a moment, then turned her attention to it and stared. It was big and soft and made for outdoor use. She had found it bundled up on the ground and guessed that it had been left behind when the rain had surprised its owners. It was convenient, and she felt lucky to have it. Wet sand was always a pain to dust off.

Misha was bored just sitting there. She could only admire the rain for so long before she ran out of shallow things to think about. All of the thoughts that mattered, that made a real difference in her life, had already been thought out to death. Her path in life, the choices she made, and her sins as an angel. She thought of them so often that it was just ridiculous. All that she could do about any of it was feel regret. She couldn't do anything else about those times. She could not go back and right the wrongs that she had committed against the ones that she loved.

She could only go forward.

_Why won't I do that?_ she asked herself as she leaned back against the cold plastic wall. "Suu…"

She heard footsteps suddenly. Shoes slapped against the wet ground, and the resulting sound was somewhat harsh. She stared forward, willing herself to push back all of those thoughts. She knew who it was that was headed in her direction. She could _feel_ his presence deep within her, warming and comforting. That was enough to ease her thoughts. For a few moments, she felt nothing but relief.

She wanted to go to him at that moment. She wanted to force herself out into the rain, and to run to him. For the past three years, his letters had been what comforted her. Whenever she questioned herself, she would read them over, and his encouragement was what kept her going. She gained all of the confidence she needed, even when things weren't going their best. Now, when her mind was so troubled and she was falling apart on herself, she couldn't think of anything better than to have him near, or to be in his arms.

"Ta…" Her throat was tight and his name caught in her throat. She could feel the tears swelling at the back of her eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks. She was going to break down, crying, and just let him pass her by. She closed her eyes tightly, her hands curling into fists. "Suu…"

He came to a stop suddenly. He skid a little on the wet pavement, the gravel crunching under his feet. Her eyes shot open and she looked up. There he was, standing on the path, staring at her.

"Misha," his voice was breathy. He doubled over, his hands resting on his knees while he tried to catch his breath. She could barely hear him past the rain. He swallowed hard before continuing, "th-there you are."

A wolfish grin crossed his face before he pushed himself up into a standing position. He placed his hand on his hips, sighing heavily, before he broke out into laughter.

"I knew I'd find you out here," he laughed, his voice beginning to rise above the sound of the rain, still shaking his head.

Misha smiled softly. That all-too familiar wetness filled her eyes, and she blinked quickly, trying to hold back the oncoming tears. It was obvious that the blond-haired teen had been out running for a while. Out, looking for her.

She gasped, suddenly remembering something.

"O-Omigosh!" she gasped, lunging out of the plastic cave and towards Takashi. Immediately she felt the cool burn of the rain at it pounded down upon her. "I-I'm sorry! Su! I completely forgot about it!"

On the day that she had been reunited with the others she had given Takashi the phone number of the hotel that she had been staying at, so that he could call her and they could set up a time when he could give her a tour around the city. She had gotten to know the city fairly well when she had been living there three years ago -- but that had been three years ago. Three years made a difference, though not by much. Finding her way around the city was like an instinct, she was never really lost even when she had no clue where she was. But, a reason to see Takashi was a reason to see Takashi, and she was happy for it.

Smiling, he shook his head at her.

"No, it's okay," he assured her. He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. He continued to smile at her. "It's okay. I'm just glad that I found you, Misha."

She returned his smile, taking a moment to wipe the water from her face with her hand. There was something about being around Takashi that made her feel so light and free. She could be herself around him, let him know when she wasn't feeling her best. Ever since the day that she had said her goodbyes, he had been the one who had been there to confide in. She did have the others, Aizou and Mango and Aya, but Takashi had been there for her in a way that no one else could be. With him, there was no way to let him down. He had always been so happy and so proud of her. He knew what to say to her so that everything just made sense, so that it didn't feel as though she was letting him down.

"I'm sorry," she apologized again.

He shrugged and let go of her shoulder. He began picking at his jacket suddenly, fumbling for the zipper with fingers that had gone numb from the cold. Misha stood there, hardly feeling anything, and watched him curiously. He pulled the zipper down and shrugged the jacket off.

"Takashi-kun?" she questioned.

"You're gonna get yourself sick," he sighed before he swung the jacket around her and draped it over her shoulders. He then used the grip that he had on the collar of the jacket to pull her closer. He held her near him but in a way that they weren't touching. He pressed his cheek against the side of her head, and stood like that for a moment, not saying anything.

Misha closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of his cheek. She grabbed for the edges of the jacket and pulled it tightly around herself. The motion pulled Takashi closer, so that they were just barely touching one another. She pressed her face to his damp shirt. He was warm, so very warm. Her smile widened as his hands slipped down and around her waist. He held her tightly.

"Suu…"

Something flashed in Misha's find, the barest traces of an image. Her eyes snapped open and her body tensed. She knew without thinking what it had been: _Kotaroh._ She was so happy there in Takashi's arms. But even that was not enough to keep the brunette out of her mind. She pushed away from Takashi so suddenly that she stumbled back and nearly fell over.

Takashi just stood there, stunned, with his eyes wide and jaw hanging open a bit.

"I'm sorry," she apologize, _again_. She raised a hand to cover her mouth as if that alone could stop the frustrated scream that she could feel building up in her throat.

"Misha, what's wrong?" Takashi asked. He held back, though it was obvious from the way that he was looking at her that he wanted to close the space between them, to get closer to her and pull her back into his arms, to comfort her. She could see all of it in the way that he was standing.

_I killed him…_ she screamed in her mind. She stared at him helplessly. Her bottom lip trembled.

Takashi returned the stare, his face still full of confusion. After a moment he opened his mouth to say something, then shut it. He hesitated for a moment, obviously unsure of what he wanted to say.

Finally he spoke, "who did you kill?"

Her eyes widened slightly and her hand shot to her mouth. She bit her bottom lip hard, frustrated with herself. How could she have said anything? She had only thought it. There was no way that she could have said it aloud. Not yet. She had thought about telling Takashi the truth once or twice, and had even been encouraged by Aizou on several occasions. But this was too soon for her. She didn't want to tell him about her past yet. Even when she felt safe enough to let him know, she had no idea how he would react to the information.

"I…" She was at a loss for words. _I don't want him to know. What If he hates me for it? Kotarou-kun did…_

"Misha?" Takashi questioned.

She stared at him. He was being so patient with her. How did he do it? Just about anyone else would have given up on her by now. She had danced over just about every possible subject that he brought up over the past three years, having to hide so much about herself and what she was doing. She had even refused to tell him when and if she would be returning to Japan. He had taken it all in stride, and told her that he looked forward to her return. He had been so patient, so wonderful with her. How could she drop this on him? How could she take back those words once they were out there?

No matter what she did next she came to a dead end.

She always hesitated, though. She had already said it, those words were out there. It was too late to turn back now. It was always too late for her…

"A-A few… years ago…" she stammered. She quickly turned away, hiding her face from his sight. She wasn't sure that she could face him while she said it. Yes, it was definitely easier if she didn't have to see him when she said it all. But that didn't change the fact that she had no idea how she wanted to start explaining everything. "His name was Kotaroh."

"M-Misha? Kotarou's still alive," he pointed out.

She shook her head and made a noise that was a cross between a laugh and a strangled sob. She sniffled. She reached to her face to wipe away the rainwater that was dripping into her eyes. Her hand was shaking though, she realized with a start. It was shaking violently, and there was nothing that she could do to stop it. She slowly curled it into a fist, hoping to at least get it under some control. But she knew how futile her battle was; her entire body was beginning tremble, and it was only getting worse. It was so hard for her to talk about this with anyone.

"No, it's a different Kotaroh," she told him. "A different one… Takashi, they were so different, but I never realized it." She could feel her hand starting to shake again. She sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. It didn't work, but she continued on despite that, "b-back then, Kotaroh and I were really close. We had each other. I-I… I was the only person he thought that he had. He said he'd give up anything for me. He even asked me if we could go out, and I was so, so happy."

She bit her lip softly, playing with it between her teeth. It was only after she began to taste the odd metallic flavour filling her mouth, that she realized how hard she was biting her lip, and she stop. She ran her tongue over her lip, tasting her fresh blood. The pain came as a slight relief; the taste of blood in her mouth was even better for her nerves, so very calming. She was startled by its effect, but relieved at the same time. If she could just focus on that then maybe she could get through this without crying.

"Misha, we should get under some place that's covered," Takashi spoke up suddenly, as if he had just remembered that they were standing in the rain. She heard the gravel crunching under his feet as he walked back up to her. "You're going to get sick."

_No I won't…_ she said to herself. But aloud she said, "alright." She motioned to the playground. "That's the closest thing we've got."

Takashi made a face. "I was thinking, something a little… _warmer_? Maybe get you changed out of those wet clothes?"

Misha shrugged. "It doesn't matter now."

"Misha," he sighed, sounding more helpless than annoyed. His placed his hands on her shoulders lightly.

"If I hadn't promised him…"

"Huh?"

Misha blinked slowly. She felt cold inside. She had always known and accepted that it was her fault that Kotaroh killed himself. Even now the most prominent memory was the one of him floating face down in the lake, struggling against his dying body to give his last words to her. He had been smiling, so certain that they would be together after that. He had been happy to die if it meant that he wouldn't lose her. He was happy to give up everything if it meant that they would be together. But none of that mattered. In life or in death, humans and angels just couldn't be together.

"If I hadn't been so stupid, it wouldn't have happened. I wouldn't have let him down and none of this stuff would've happened. Suu…"

----------

"How is it, Misha-san?" Shia asked quietly, staring up at the night sky.

Misha smiled faintly. She raised the green mug to her lips and sipped at the hot cocoa that Shia had made. The warm sweetness filled her mouth. She had to admit, she felt a little bit better after tasting it. She had missed Shia's cooking and baking, and everything else the demon had done in the past. She was so motherly, so kind and caring. It was hard to remember that she had lived such a hard life.

"It's good. Su," she replied after a moment.

"How was America?" Shia asked softly, her eyes still focused on the stars above them. She smiled softly and tucked a few strands of her dark brown hair behind her ears.

"Interesting. Su."

"Yeah?" Her eyes darted to her for a moment, before returning to the sky. "I've never been there before. What's it like?"

Misha shrugged. The Haven had never stayed in one place for too long of a time. They moved at least once a month, and at times they hadn't even lived in any apartments or houses. Most of the time they simply stayed in hotels or motels. Their contact with humans was always limited, because their forms were so unstable it would have been hard to explain the changes that they went through twice a month.

Her reasons had been a bit more personal than Aizou's and the others', but she had never voiced them. She had shied away from contact with humans because when she was near them, she could only think of Kotaroh and Kotarou, and what a failure she was as an angel.

"Misha-san?" Shia's curious voice invaded her thoughts.

Misha sighed. "It's not all that different from Japan, I guess. Lots of humans, and some really big cities. Forests and everything, too. It's okay…"

Shia laughed softly, and it sounded awkward. Misha knew that she wasn't being her friendliest. She had been having trouble with that from day one. In the past she had been so open, and tried so hard to be so close to everyone. Now she was cold and distant, less than enthusiastic about anything in her life. Even to the people that had always been so good to her, she couldn't be kind and loving to anymore.

"We spent a lot of time trainin'," she said finally. "Mango, she's a fallen angel. She taught me lots about my angelic powers, things I didn't even know were possible for angels to do. And Aizou, she taught me lots about fighting. Anythin' and everythin'. Su. She became a half demon in the same way that I did."

"Aizou…" Shia mumbled to herself, her gaze dropping to the cup of cocoa she was holding, as if she was trying to remember something. "She used to be a demon, right?"

Misha nodded.

"How did you know?"

A soft sigh passed through Shia's lips. "Aizou's story is a very popular one in Hell. I don't know how much of it is true now, but it's well known."

"Oh…"

Misha brought the cup to her lips and sipped at it again. Aizou never spoke much about her past life as a demon, and so she never really knew much about her, or the circumstances under which she attempted to become human. She had never bothered to ask because the conversation always seemed to be painful for her.

An awkward silence passed between them. Misha had no idea what to say, and Shia did not seem to know, either. They both settled for being quiet, waiting for the other to find something to say.

Misha was the first to find her words.

"Shia-san, I'm sorry," she apologized. She looked over to the dark-haired woman. "All those years ago, it was my fault… It was my fault that Kotaroh-kun died."

Another awkward silence passed between them.

"Kotarou-san has grown up rather well, wouldn't you say?" Shia spoke up, changing the subject. She smiled slightly. "Shino-chan has, too. It's been wonderful watching them grow up like this. It's been like watching my own children growing up."

"Shia-san…"

"Kotarou-san told me all about what happened back then. I hadn't known any of it," she told her. "I keep thinking that if I had been there when he was growing up, I could have prevented it. If I had been able to stay there just a little longer, I could have let him know what was going on, that he wasn't just a freak. He could have lived a normal life in the Human Realm, as normal as the child of a demon could have."

It clicked in Misha's head, like a light being turned on. Shia blamed herself for leaving her family all alone like that. She had left them to fend for themselves. She had left them to deal with things that she had never explained to any of them, that could never be dealt with by humans.

"It wasn't your fault, Shia-san!" she exclaimed. "You didn't do anything wrong! You wouldn't have known!"

"I couldn't stay with them and continue living," she said softly, shaking her head. "I couldn't stay there and live, at all. There was only one way to do it, and I could never live with myself for doing that. Even that last time, I almost lost myself to the hunger. I almost did it…"

"Shia-san…" Misha was at yet another loss for words. She wasn't the kind of person who could easily come up with comforting words. She could only stumble over herself and hope that whatever came out of her mouth was enough to bring a smile to someone's face. "I…"

"I don't blame you, Misha-san," she said finally. "It's no one's fault that any of it happened. We all tried our best those days, but none of it was enough. We can only keep going forward, and enjoy the time that we have now."

"Y-Yeah. Su," Misha mumbled. She wasn't sure if she agreed with what Shia was saying, or If she really understood it.

"Becoming human is such a mixed blessing," she continued. "But because of it, I'm able to watch my children grow up. Even if these are just their reincarnations, I'm happy that I've gotten a second chance. Thank you, Misha-san."

With a soft sigh, Misha turned around enough to stare back at Klaus. The small cat had been staring at her for a while now, his eyes narrowed to slits, willing for her to drop dead where she was. She smiled softly. She turned back around and stared up at the remnants of the moon.

_I'll become an angel again soon…_


	6. How to Meet a Familiar Face

_The sealed past is starting to stir in my chest,  
__The forgotten heart goes further each time I wish for it.  
__The longer we live, the more we lose,  
__But even so I don't want to throw away my dreams for tomorrow.  
_- Bokutachi no Yukue, Gundam SEED: Destiny

**Moonlight Demon  
**Chapter Four: How to Meet a Familiar Face

----

Mornings had become quite lonely and quiet for Shia after Misha had left for North America.

Without Misha around, she was only cooking for herself and cleaning up after only herself. Neither task managed to keep her busy for very long, considering that she rarely ate a full meal and never made much of a mess in the apartment. And though Klaus had - for reasons that he never shared with her - decided to remain by her side after she became a human, he was never one for conversation.

It had not taken long until the morning came that Shia found herself knocking on Kotarou's front door to offer to make breakfast for himself and Shino. He only smiled tightly in response, his eyes blinking quickly as if trying to hold back his tears, as he made room to let her in. Shino sat alone in the living room, dressed to go to the daycare. Her purple eyes were big and curious as she stared at Shia. The only words that came out of her mouth that morning were,

_"Where is Misha-oneesan?"_

Shia blinked slowly, realizing suddenly that she was standing in her own kitchen. She gently placed down the knife that she had been using to prepare Kotarou's lunch and sighed, taking a step back away from the counter. She sighed softly, and closed her eyes.

It had hurt when Misha had left so suddenly, though she was not surprised by her choice to do so. Misha herself had been in a great deal of pain back then, dealing with her own guilt for what had happened to Kotaroh and the guilt of using Kotarou to replace him. Because she was so young, she lacked the knowledge and ability to correct the situation her thoughtlessness had created. She lost herself to that hopeless feeling, and had completely given up. It was understandable why she felt that she had to leave. She was overwhelmed by the constant reminder of what she had done.

Aizou had provided her with the escape that she needed, and had even offered her a means to correct what had happened without 'death' as an option. It only made sense that Misha left with her.

With all of that in mind, it hadn't taken long for Shia to muster up the courage to re-invite Misha to live with her. She had even managed to extended the invitation to all of Misha's friends. Misha just smiled as she accepted the offer, though her gaze turned to the side, towards Kotarou's veranda.

Could things ever return back to how they once were?

"Shia-san?" Misha's voice echoed against the kitchen walls.

She jumped, started, and turned around to face the young half-demon. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight before her: Misha's hair had miraculously turned back to it's past pink tone.

"Oh, Misha-san, your hair..."

"Y-Yeah," she replied, smiling bashfully. She ran her fingers through her hair quickly, her eyes darting to the corners as if to make sure of the colour's change. "It was something that Mango taught me."

"So, um..." Shia's eyes darted around the kitchen nervously. For some reason it was hard to think of something to say to her. "How did you sleep?"

"Um, pretty well," Misha replied, tucking a few strands of hair back behind her ears. Her smile widened. "Su."

Silence passed over the two young women for several moments.

Misha had changed quite a bit since the last time that they had last stood face to face. She was quieter, more reserved. It was almost as if she was nervous, and had to stop to carefully think out every move she made and every word that she spoke. It was as if she was so aware that making the "wrong move" could end everything, she could no longer just enjoy what was happening around her.

Though she had a knack for being motherly, she was at a loss for words to encourage Misha to relax even just a little.

"Anyways, I gotta get going before school starts," Misha said finally.

"Oh? Are you planning to go with Kotarou-san?" Shia asked.

Misha paused for a moment, then shook her head. "No… Takashi-kun gave me his jacket yesterday, and I wanted to return it to him."

"Oh, I see."

Shia's curiosity peaked. She had been able to gather that Misha and Takashi were closer than they had been before she left, but she had not been able to gauge just how close they had become. Now she was certain she could see it more clearly.

"Anyways, I should get going," Misha spoke up, smiling slightly.

It was the first smile that she had seen that wasn't accompanied by a haunted look in her eyes.

"Ah, okay," she replied.

She was silent for a moment, thinking. Even though it appeared that there was something going on between Misha and Takashi, it was still apparent that Misha still had feelings for Kotarou. Despite the fact that he was dating Koboshi now, Kotarou still retained his feelings for Misha. It was a complicated situation that only promised pain for all of them.

Still, the least that she could do was reunite them as friends. If they could at least speak to one another, then there was a chance to work everything out, without anyone getting hurt.

Right?

"Oh, Misha-san!" she called after the pink haired woman. "Could you wait a few moments?"

Misha stopped at the veranda window, her hand on the door. "What do you need? Su?"

"I'm almost done making Kotarou-san's obento," she said, motioning to the food on the counter. "Since you're headed to the school, could you deliver it to him for me?"

She received a curious stare in return. Of course it didn't make much sense that she would have Misha deliver it in her place when they lived next door to him. She could just as easily step outside and give it to him herself. However, this was the easiest chance that she could come up with for them to begin speaking to one another. It was small, but it was still a chance.

Whether she understood that an opportunity was being presented to her or not, Misha smiled again.

"Yeah, I'll take it, Shia-san."

_It's hopeless for her, Shia,_ Klaus' voice echoed in her mind. _Why are you even bothering to help that useless halfling?_

She glanced over at the small black cat that had gone unnoticed until now and merely smiled back at him.

---

Shia hadn't come over to make breakfast for Shino and himself that morning. It was a habit that they had formed over the past few years: as long as Shia did not have a morning shift at the tricot, she would come over and help them prepare for the day. And as with any other daily habit, when Shia did not come over, he felt as though something was missing from his day.

So it was only natural that he would come to check up on her before he left for work, right?

"I, uh…"

Kotarou stared at the woman that had answered Shia's door. She was tall and slender, with thin maroon eyes that stared curiously back at him. Her hair was a similar colour to her eyes, only a few shades darker.

He had never seen her before in his life, but there was something about her that felt very familiar. He could not place what that feeling was, but he recognized it as something close to him.

"I… think I…" he trailed off.

Kotarou glanced from side to side, looking for something to indicated that somehow he had mistaken Shia's door for someone else's. But there was no such luck - the door to his left was indeed his own.

He was at the right apartment. So who was this woman?

"Shia's not here," the woman stated. She spoke quietly, but her tone was firm enough to leave no room for argument.

"Uh…"

Kotarou continued to stare at her. Was something serious going on? The idea was quickly pushed aside. He had seen Klaus in action once before, and he knew from then that the demon was powerful enough to take out just about anyone that meant to harm Shia. He trusted that. So then, who was this woman?

"You're Kotarou Higuchi, aren't you?" Her voice was still just as quiet, but it was softly. "Misha's friend, Kotarou, right?"

_She's one of Misha's friends?_ he wondered, staring at her wide eyed.

She did not strike him as the kind of person that Misha would be around. She was definitely not a friendly person. But that felt as though it should have been the least of his issues with her - there was also something about her that felt very, very dangerous. Yes, he could say for certain now he knew what that familiar feeling was that he received as he stood so close to her: demon.

"Who are you?" he snapped, stumbling back.

The woman smiled now, something that completely transformed her features. She seemed friendlier. No, that was the wrong word. She looked amused more than anything else.

"What are you doing in Shia-san's place?"

She opened the door and took a step out into the hallway.

"You're a demon, aren't you?" he accused. "Right?"

She nodded, a smirk planted on her lips. "Yeah, you got me there." She took another step towards him, and he took another one back. "Well, you're sort of right. My name is Aizou, and I am a half demon. Close enough, I guess."

He blinked. She was just going to admit it? Just like that? Like it was nothing?

Well, maybe it really was nothing to her. Even if he was able to figure out what she was, that did not change the fact that she would be able to snap his neck with a single blow. What reason would she have to become unsettled by some kid figuring out what she was?

"I didn't take you for a coward," she sighed, though behind that he could hear the laughter in her voice. "After all of the stories I've heard form Misha, I'd think that you'd be a bit calmer around someone like me."

"Misha… san?" he repeated her name. _So she is a friend of Misha-san. But, what would Misha be doing with a half demon?_

"To be honest, I like that Ayanokoji kid better," the woman continued. She slunk towards Kotarou, each step drawn out and overly dramatic.

Kotarou scowled, his discomfort quickly being replaced by irritation. He'd never met this woman before, and yet Takashi had. How many times had he and Misha hung out since her return? How many times had Takashi just pulled her into his arms like he did at the café? How many reminders did he have to receive that she had never been his in the first place?

"Jealousy," she stated. "It's just spilling out of you."

Kotarou blinked. The woman's body was suddenly pressed against his own.

_When did she…?_ He was cut off in mid thought as she raised a hand to his cheek.

His chest tightened. It was hard to breathe. Small pinpricks danced along his skin, and he shivered. He wanted to push her away. He wanted to give her a good shove and get the hell out of there, but his body wouldn't listen to him. He couldn't get away from her.

"You, too, are partially demon," she chuckled. "I can feel it in you. But the blood's too weak to do a damn thing for you. Maybe, maybe… it can do something for me…"

---

Joudai Middle School was the largest school that Misha had ever seen in her entire life - though she had only really ever seen one other school in her entire life. Misha stood, frozen in awe at the school's front gates, as she stared at the large building.

It wasn't until after she had left the apartment with the hopes of meeting up with Takashi before school started that she had absolutely no idea where the middle school was. For once that did not pose a problem for her; since she was a child she had possessed the ability to sense out the presence of others in order to locate them. Because of that, locating the school had been easy.

_That was how I always found Kotarou-kun,_ she thought, smiling bitterly.

Misha sighed softly. She shook her head at herself. It was silly to think about the past now. No matter how many times she thought about it, thinking never changed anything. The past was the past, unchangeable, no matter how much she wished that things could be different. As for the present - that was within her grasp, and she could not afford to have it slip away from her.

She sucked in a deep breath and held it.

_Return Takashi-kun's jacket,_ she reminded herself. _Return it. Give Kotarou-kun his bento, then head back home. That's all that you need to do today, so do it!_

She closed her eyes for a moment as she focused. There were so many students in the school grounds that looking for Takashi by any normal means would take far too long. The bell would ring, and then she would be forced to drop by during school hours to return the jacket to Takashi and give Kotarou his lunch.

A small grin touched her lips as she recalled her former habit of appearing at Kotarou's classroom window. It had always been fun to pop in on him like that, despite his own protests and the way that the teacher would scold her. Being able to just visit with him like that, just to be able to see him and not having to care about the consequences - those were the days that she had enjoyed the most.

"Excuse me, Miss, are you lost?" a quiet, male voice broke through the chatter of the students.

Misha opened her eyes slowly. "Eh?"

"Are you lost?" he repeated.

"Am I…"

Misha stared at the teen that stood less than two inches away from her. He was taller than she was by several inches. His hair was straight, brown, and barely passed his shoulders. His eyes were an odd shade of hazel, coloured by a slight crimson tint.

Aside from his oddly coloured eyes, he greatly resembled Kotarou, she thought as she continued to stare at him.

"Ah, oh." He mumbled something under his breath. He tilted to his head to the side and returned her stare, curiosity sparking in his eyes.

"Do. You. Not. Speak. Japanese?" He spoke slowly and clearly.

A smile tugged at the corners of Misha's mouth as she tried not to laugh. Though he meant well, it would have been a wasted effort on someone who did not know the language. Changing the way one spoke wouldn't matter if the one listening had no understanding of the word.

"I take that as a… no?"

"No. Su," Misha chirped in response.

"No?" he repeated. He continued

She paused for a moment, then allowed herself to laugh. "Yes. I mean, yes. Su. I can speak Japanese. Su."

It was his turn to pause as a smile broke out on his face.

"I was starting to wonder," he joked.

"Sorry. Su," she apologized, and bowed her head quickly. "I was just thinking about something. Su."

"Heh heh. That's alright."

She smiled again. She was finding it hard not to. There was something about him, something about just being near him, that made her want to smile.

"Well, as I asked you before," he continued, "_are_ you lost?"

"No, not really. I'm just looking for someone. Su."

She bit her lip gently as she thought. What was it about him that made her feel so comfortable? For a moment the thought that it was because he resembled Kotarou passed her mind, then was quickly dismissed. She and Kotarou weren't even on speaking terms. A reminder of that, no matter the circumstances, was ever a good one. So what was it?

_No, it's not Kotarou-kun,_ she thought, her eyes widening slightly at the realization. _He looks more like Kotaroh-kun._

"Oh, who are you looking for?"

"Ah, it's Ta-Takashi Ayanokoji. Su."

His face visibly darkened at her response. "Oh." He sighed. "Guess I can't compete wish that guy."

"Ah…" Misha was unsure how to respond to his comment. What was he going to compete with Takashi over?

He cleared his throat and lowered his gaze to the ground. A sigh passed through his lips. He shifted nervously. Something was bothering him. Was it because she was looking for Takashi? Was his relationship with the blonde something like Hiroshi's - based on a rivalry?

"Are you-"

"Sorry." He cut her off. The smile suddenly returned to his face, and he offered her his hand. "My name is Kotaroh Fujimiya. May I have the honour of knowing yours?"

Misha's heart skipped a beat.

_Kotaroh…?_

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

_Kotaroh… His name is Kotaroh…_

His name echoed in her mind. "Kotaroh" - it wasn't enough that he resembled the boy she had failed, he had to have the same name as well?

She looked away.

"My name is Misha Asaki," she mumbled. "Su."

"That's a beautiful name," he commented. "Fitting for an angel."

"Huh?" Her head snapped up.

Kotaroh smiled at her. "I think that name suits you, one who is as beautiful as an angel."

She was silent for a moment, staring at his face.

"Th-Thank you. Su."

"As for Ayanokoji," he began, "he usually meets up with his friends around here."

Still staring at his face, she replied, "thank you. Su. Ko… Fu-Fujimiya-san."

"Please, 'Kotaroh' will do fine," he laughed. "I hate formalities like that."

She fell silent for a moment. It felt wrong to be here, to enjoy his presence. No matter how much she was enjoying it, the back of her mind was screaming at her for her stupidity. This boy was not "Kotaroh". Just because they shared the same physical features and name did not make them the same person. Kotarou was even Kotaroh's reincarnation - there was no connection between the teen standing before her, and the forever burned into her memories. She would only be repeating the same mistakes that she had made with Kotarou if she allowed herself to continue to think of this for as "Kotaroh".

"Hey, Misha!" Takashi's voice broke out over the crowd. "Mii-shaa!"

She turned to her right just in time to see him push through a crowd of people.

"Well then, I suppose that's my cue to exit," Kotaroh said. He reached out, took her hand in his, and lightly pressed his lips to the back of her hand. "I am honoured to have met you, dear Misha. I hope to see you again soon."

Misha blushed furiously.

Kotaroh just smiled at her, then turned around and headed for the school.

"Misha, what are you doing here?" Takashi puffed, out of breath from running.

She turned to him slowly. Her mind was racing with unintelligible things. Only one thought rang out clear in her mind: _I want to see him again._

"Misha?" Takashi repeated her name again. He touched the side of her face gently, guiding her eyes to meet with his. His face was brimming with concern. "Are you okay? Did that guy do something weird to you?"

A wave of guilt overcame her. She was being ridiculous. What was she thinking? She had Takashi, who was more than ready and willing to take on all of the darkness in her past.

A cough came from behind Takashi.

"I'm going to inside," Kotarou grumbled, making his way into her line of sight.

Takashi chuckled nervously. "Yeah. See you there, man."

Kotarou stopped for a moment, staring at the two of them. Her eyes met with his for a moment, but he broke the gaze quickly. He stood there as if he was frozen in place, unable to move or look at anything but the sidewalk.

"Higuchi-san, I, um…" she stammered.

She pulled away from Takashi, and walked towards him.

"What do you want?" he grumbled, his voice barely audible.

She held her hands out between them, and smiled. She clapped, and in a small burst of smoke, the bento appeared in her hands.

"Shia-san wanted me to deliver this to you. Su," she announced.

Kotarou's eyes flickered to her face for a brief moment before he reached out for his lunch. His hand rested atop the bento for a moment, hesitating, before he finally took it from her.

"… Say thank you to Shia-san for me," he said finally.

"Um, I will. Su," she agreed.

Kotarou stood there for a moment. He glanced at her once more, then at Takashi.

"I'll see you inside," he muttered.

"Did Shia-san teach you that?" Takashi questioned, coming up behind her.

Misha shook her head. "No... Aizou did."

"So you dyed your hair back to normal last night, huh?"

She nodded slowly, finding it hard to meet his eyes.

"Hey… are you alright?" he repeated his earlier question. He placed one hand on her shoulder, and turned her so that she was facing him.

"Yeah. Why do you ask? Su?"

"You seem, kind of spaced out. That's all."

She smiled, and willed it to reach her eyes. "I was up late last night, that's all."

He was silent for a moment, then returned her smile.

"I should get inside too," he mentioned.

"Alright."

"Don't push yourself too hard," he told her, then leaned over and kissed her forehead.

She blushed. "I won't," she promised. "Su."

---

"Nyaaaah," Aya yawned. She crouched down on the pavement. "I'm bored…"

"Just a little longer," Misha promised her aqua-haired friend. She looked down at the jacket that she was holding in her arms.

It was only on her trip back to the apartment that Misha had realized her second blunder of the morning: she had forgotten to give Takashi's jacket back to him. Though just as before, this mistake wasn't one that she regretted making. Because she had forgotten it, she had a valid reason to see him again.

Though wanting to see him, alone, was enough of a reason for her.

She had come just in time to hear the final bell ring to announce the end of classes for the day, yet even an hour later, Takashi still hadn't left the school. She found it hard to stand in the same place, but she didn't want to get him into trouble with any of the teachers by going into the school.

It wasn't until Koboshi had shown up a short while later and explained that he and Kotarou held study sessions in the library every day for one hour, before Takashi's shift at the tricot began, that she understood why it was taking so long for him to come out.

Aya hopped up suddenly.

"That girl's glaring at us again," she mumbled so that only Misha could hear her.

Misha glanced over to the other side of the gate where Koboshi was standing. Just as Aya had said, the blonde was shooting daggers at Misha with her eyes.

She smiled at her.

"Uematsu-san, are you waiting for Higuchi-san?" she called over.

Koboshi remained silent for a moment, then sighed.

"Yes."

Misha laughed, softly It was a nervous response. Koboshi had never liked her to begin with. Now the animosity seemed to have grown, though she didn't know how or why.

She sighed. When she had first met Koboshi, she didn't think much of the girl. She was an obstacle, a rival for Kotarou's attention - though he was ever oblivious to how the blonde felt about him. She was still a friend of Kotarou's, though, and a friend of Kotarou was someone that she wanted to be friends with.

That was how it had been with Takashi originally, too.

Her gaze fell to the ground. How did Kotarou feel now that she was with Takashi? Neither she nor Takashi had agreed that they were officially dating, but they were growing much closer than 'just friends'.

Did that still count as being 'with' him? Or was it still too soon?

She wasn't sure. Aya had once taken the time to explain human relationships to her, but the entire concept was too complicated for Misha to comprehend. In the end all that she was able to understand was what she had understood before: dating meant that you really liked one another and wanted to be with them forever.

_Forever with Takashi-kun…?_

She frowned. She didn't exactly hate the idea, but she still didn't feel the same as when she thought of being with Kotaroh forever.

"Hey there, Beautiful," Takashi chuckled.

Misha perked up.

"Takashi-kun! Su!" she exclaimed. She smiled brightly and pushed away from the gate. "I missed you so much! Su!"

Once again, Kotarou appeared from behind Takashi. His eyes were a little wide with surprise. Maybe he hadn't expected to see her again so soon, or perhaps her declaration to Takashi had caught him off guard. Whatever it was, it didn't take long for the surprise to fade into a glare.

"Ehh, he's just like that girl," Aya commented, this time loud enough for all of them to hear.

Koboshi ignored the comment and walked over to Kotarou.

"How was your study session?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "Same as usual… I guess."

She inched closer to him, and he inched back and looked away.

"Kotarou…"

Takashi's hand suddenly came down on Misha's head, bringing her attention back to him.

"Takashi-kun? Su?" she questioned.

"Hey, are you busy tonight?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "No, I'm not. Su. Why? Su?"

"I'm gonna have another study session at Kotarou's for the exams in a couple days," he explained as a wolfish grin crossed his face. "So I was hoping that after I could see you."

She blushed and giggled.

"That sounds great. Su."

"Misha-chan's in love," Aya snickered. "Nyaah."

Her blush deepened.

"A-Aya-chan… Su…" she stammered.

Takashi laughed softly. He draped an arm around her shoulders and declared, "as long as it's with me, I don't mind."

There was a collective moment of silence before Aya burst out into laughter.

"O-Oh my G-God… Nya," she laughed. "That's… That's so… corny. Nya."

"Takashi-kun!" Misha gasped.

She immediately glanced over at Kotarou. He was staring at the ground again, his hair covering his face so that she couldn't make out what expression he was making. Koboshi was saying something to him, but she couldn't hear it.

"Hey, Kotarou-san! Nya!" Aya chirped suddenly, pointing dramatically in his direction.

He jumped as if someone had hit him. The sudden action startled Koboshi and she stumbled back a bit.

"Wh-What?" he stammered. He looked uncomfortable.

Aya just grinned at him. "It's nice to finally meet _the_ 'Kotarou-kun' that Misha was always talking about. Nya. It's a pleasure. Nya."

"Uh, I… ah…" He looked away again. "Yeah, sure."

"I see you brought my jacket," Takashi spoke up, changing the subject. He, too, much have felt uncomfortable by the situation.

_I wonder if he knows how Kotarou-kun feels about this… about us…_

Misha smiled at him.

"I meant to bring it this morning. Su. But I forgot it after Shia-san asked me to bring Higuchi-san's lunch. Su," she explained in one breath. She gulped in a breath of air, then continued, "And, I wanted to see you again today, anyways. Su."

"Then it all worked out," he replied, giving her a gentle squeeze.

Her smile widened. "Y-Yes! Su!"

---

For the first time since her return to Japan, Misha had not been disheartened by any of the day's events. She had gotten to meet the mysterious teen that reminded her so much of her beloved "Kotaroh"; she had - sort of - shared her first conversation in years with Kotarou that did not involve him running away; and, she had gotten to see Takashi twice that day.

Staring out at the horizon, Misha sighed blissfully.

She still had nearly two months to correct how she had wronged Kotarou. It felt like so much time, and yet too little. She would have to play her cards right from now on. There was no more room for mistakes or hesitation.

"_Misha, listen carefully. This is your last chance."_

She closed her eyes.

"_In two months, the war will begin."_

"I can do it," she assured herself. She nodded. "I will do it."

"You're late," Klaus' hissed.

Misha opened her eyes and turned to face him. It was a shock at first, to see him in his true form. She had only seen it once before, when Shia had discovered the truth about her past.

"You spend too much time in that cat's body. Su," she joked. "You act like one even when you aren't."

"They planned you a 'welcome home' party," he announced, sounding unamused. "Next door. Go."

She nodded and began heading for the door. She stopped when she reached him.

"Shia asked you to get me, didn't she?"

"That's none of your concern," he huffed.

"It's good that you care about her," she said. "You'll always keep her safe, then."

He stared at her curiously. "Do you know something interesting?"

She shook her head and resumed walking.

"That's none of your concern."

---

Surprise! Makami is back!

I hope that whoever reads this enjoyed the chapter. I promise that from now on, there will be one chapter each week, posted either on Friday or Saturday. I'll try to have them this length. I don't know what else to say, except that I'm sorry to all of my readers when I just up and disappeared from writing. I plan on sticking with it this time.


	7. How to Make a Promise

**Moonlight Demon  
**Chapter Five, How to Make a Promise

"_You haven't told her yet, have you?"_

"_Tell her tomorrow. 'Cause if you don't, _I _will."_

Misha's eyes fluttered open.

She'd known for a while that Kotarou and Koboshi were dating. Takashi had briefly mentioned it in one of his letters. The initial shock of it had caused her to shut down for a few days; she had stopped speaking and eating altogether. Eventually she had convinced herself to be happy for them, for Kotarou.

If he was happy, then she had no right not to be happy for him.

"Mmn… Miisha-chaaaan…" Aya mumbled in her sleep. She snuggled up to her, pressing her face to her chest. "I want more cake. Nyaaah."

She sighed softly. It wasn't unusual for the aqua-haired girl to snuggle up to her while they slept. She did it all the time.

But it was too much this morning. She needed space. She glanced over at the still-dark window. She needed to get some fresh air.

She sat up slowly, trying not to wake Aya in the process.

The girl gave a quiet, annoyed groan.

"I'm sorry, Aya-chan. Su," she whispered and gave the girl a light pat on the shoulder. "Sleep well."

She hopped to her feet and left the room.

Even this early in the morning, the kitchen was busy. From the hallway she could hear the quiet clang of dishes as they were brought down from the cabinets. The murmur of wo voices gently mingled together and echoed off the walls. They were laughing.

It was Shia and Mango.

Misha stopped just short of turning the corner and listened to them.

They reminded her so much of the time that she spent with Kotarou and Shia. Even though she wasn't any good at it, she would try to help out. Immediately she would break something, and Kotarou would become aggravated. He'd tell her to sit at the table and watch them. He always told her not to touch anything else.

And she would do as she was told. She sat there, fidgeting and staring at their backs. They would talk and laugh to themselves. They looked so happy, so comfortable with one another. It was a world she couldn't enter. For a moment she would feel jealous; she wanted to stand up and push herself between them. But she didn't, and the feeling would slowly pass.

After all, one day he would remember everything. Then she would be the only one he looked at.

"Good morning! Su!" Misha sang as she came out of the hallway. "Mango-chan! Su! Shia-san! Su!"

"Ah, Misha-san, good morning!" Shia replied. She turned around to greet her.

"Hey, Luna." Mango waved to her without turning around.

Misha smiled slightly. Mango always took her cooking and baking seriously. Even Aya had trouble getting her attention to shift in the least.

"You're up early," Shia commented.

"Y-Yeah. Su," she agreed. "Couldn't really sleep. Su."

"Oh, that's too bad." She looked troubled.

"Heheh, it's okay! Su!" she declared. She pumped her fists into the air as if that action alone would prove it.

Mango glanced back curiously then.

"You should go back to sleep," she said softly, then returned to her task at hand.

Misha fell silent and looked away. _I just wanted some fresh air…_

She looked back at her then, and smiled. "I should've known. I'll go with you, if Shia-san doesn't mind."

"Ah." Shia looked confused for a moment. But the usual, pleasant smile quickly washed over her features and she nodded. "That's fine."

Mango placed the knife down and motioned for Misha to follow her onto the veranda.

"We haven't gotten much of a chance to speak this last week, have we?" the fallen angel commented after she slid the veranda door shut.

"N-No. Su," Misha agreed.

Mango stretched her arms over her head and made a small grunting noise. She walked over to the railing and leaned on it, her gaze off to the distant horizon. Misha joined her without saying anything.

They stood like that for several minutes, neither saying a word to the other. Misha was at a loss for words. Mango had obviously wanted to talk to her about something, but she had never been one to rush a conversation. She always took the time to think about what she was going to say.

It was sort of annoying.

"Misha," she started, saying the name slowly as if she were still thinking. She fell silent again.

Misha glanced over to her. "Ah, um… Y-Yes, Mango-chan? Su?"

She was silent a moment longer before responding. "Are you happy to be back here?"

"Eh?" Misha blinked. "What kind of question is that, Mango-chan? Su? Of course I am. Su."

She laughed softly. What was Mango thinking? Sure she was nervous, and a little scared, but she was really happy. This was exactly what she had been working towards over the past three years. From the moment that Aizou had approached her, she had been thinking about this.

"Why do you ask? Su?"

"You don't seem very happy lately," she replied.

It was Misha's turn to be silent for a moment.

"W-Well… things have been difficult with Kotarou-kun. Su," she explained. "We haven't really gotten a chance to speak yet. Su. Even though I came to see him and Takashi-kun yesterday, he didn't really speak to me. Su. I think… he's probably really angry with me. Su."

She lowered her gaze to the railing.

"The entire time, all I could think of what 'this is my Kotaroh-kun'. Su. When I was alone, I'd think of all the time I spent with Kotaroh-kun. I'd remember the way he smiled when we were together, and then I'd be with Kotarou-kun, and he never smiled at me like that. And the way he spoke to me, he was always so kind. Kotarou-kun was never like that."

"Did you always compare them like that?"

Misha nodded. "I never said it, but… I thought about it a lot. Su. I always wondered if and when Kotarou-kun would start remembering me. Su. But… after he did remember it all, he was really, really angry. Su." She glanced over at her friend, who was still staring off at the horizon. She sighed. "At first I didn't get it. Why was he mad at me? Su. I couldn't make any sense of it. Su.

"I realized it a few days later. Kotaroh-kun and Kotarou-kun are two different people. The spirit is the same, but… they really aren't the same person. If I'd realized that sooner, then maybe I wouldn't have hurt Kotarou-kun like that. Suu."

"If you forget all of that, what kind of relationship would you have with Kotarou now?" she asked.

Misha fell silent again, and resumed staring at the railing. "If I forgot about everything that happened to Kotaroh-kun… there wouldn't be one. Su."

Mango nearly face vaulted.

She stood up, sighed, then scratched her head. "You're an impossible girl, Misha."

"Eh? Suu?"

She sighed again, then placed her hands on her hips.

"You're cannot say that without Kotaroh, your relationship with his reincarnation is nonexistent," she chided. "You _cannot_. It does exist, Misha. Yes, you met him because of the past, but you've really got to start leaving the past where it belongs."

"I know! Su!" Misha snapped back. "I know what you're saying! Su! But… Always… Every time I look at him, I can't help myself. I see Kotaroh-kun in him, and I just want to cry. Su."

Mango stepped closer. She gently pat Misha's head.

"You don't look very cute when you're crying, you know," she commented.

"You're mean. Su," she laughed softly.

The older woman mess her hair up.

"But we already knew that." She smiled. "And, I should get back inside. I'd feel bad if I made Shia-san make all of our food for us."

"O-Okay," Misha replied as Mango walked by her.

Mango stopped at the veranda's door and looked back. "These people are your friends, right? Stop being so formal with them. Even they think it's weird."

-----

"Alright!" Misha declared, pumping a fist into the air. "It's time to see Misha get serious! Su!"

Her demonic cycle had ended several days ago. She had made a promise to herself within the first month after the ritual; every time her angelic cycle began, she would not hesitate to use it to help as many people as possible. She had stopped being a pure angels decades ago and that hadn't stopped her from trying to help people. Becoming a half demon would not stop her, either.

And the park, she found, was the best place to do it.

"Misha-chan, people are staring. Nya," Aya commented.

She laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head.. "Sorry, Aya-chan, Shia-san. I'm just a little excited. Su."

She glanced over at Shia and Aya, who were sitting on the park bench next to her.

"_Stop being so formal. It's weird."_ Mango's words echoed in her mind.

Shia's expression remained pleasant and smiling. There was nothing to indicate that she was bothered by how formal she was being. Shia had always been like that, though. She was always calm, patient, and understanding. If she was ever uncomfortable or sad, she never showed it.

For now, she would have to trust Mango about this.

"Shia-chan, do you have work today?" she chirped.

Shia's eyes widened slightly for a moment, but she quickly recovered with a gentle smile.

"N-No I don't, Misha-san," she replied.

Misha stared at her for a moment longer, unsure of how to take her initial response. It didn't seem like a bad one. In fact, she looked a little happy about it.

_Maybe Mango-chan was right…_

"Misha-chan, it's bright out here," Aya complained.

"Ah… y-yeah. Su," she laughed softly. "Okay! Let's do this!"

It had taken a lot of training from Mango before she had been able to properly control her angelic energy and use it on humans. Every cycle Mango would take her to the park and teach her a little more about the way an angel was supposed to do their job. They practiced how it was summoned from deep within her, and the best way to pass it on.

Misha walked away from the park bench and into the crowd. The more she had practiced, the easier it had become to call forth that energy and pass it on.

All it took now was a thought and to brush against someone. She examined the faces of the humans that she passed, looking for any that seemed to need a pick-me-up. It was always difficult for her t find the humans that actually needed her help. There were so many around her, and she had never really been aware of the needs of others before. Unlike Kotaroh who openly expressed his emotions, most of these people didn't show how they were feeling. They all wore the same emotionless masks on their face.

"Koshou-chan!" a young girl's cry broke out over the crowd. "Koshou-chan! Come back down!"

Misha pushed through the people in the direction of the voice. The girl's voice was high pitched and panicked. She sounded like someone that needed help.

"Koshou-chan!"

Misha broke through the crowd finally and found herself standing in front of the crying girl. She was staring up a tree, her arms raised, as she continued to call out for "Koshou-chan."

She followed the girl's gaze up the tree and stared for a moment. At first she couldn't see it, but then it moved: a small black and white kitten. Misha cracked a smile as she realized why the girl had given the cat such a name. Kids were really simple minded.

"Is that your kitty?" she asked the girl. She knelt down so that they were at eye level.

Sniffling, the girl looked to her and nodded. "Uh-Uh huh."

Misha was quiet for a moment. If there hadn't been so many people around she would have flown up to get the cat. However, she was very visible to humans, and doing such a thing would only attract unwanted attention to her. At least if it was only the girl, her parents might contribute the story to her young, over active imagination.

She sighed and glanced around. No one was really paying attention to them. It would be simple to use a bit of her angelic powers to help get her up the tree faster.

"Alright then," she said. She stood up. "I'll get your kitty back."

"R-Really?" the girl gasped.

She walked up to the tree, and looked up again. Koshou was still on the same branch, staring back down at her curiously.

Even the lowest branch was out of reach, but that wasn't really a problem for her. She glanced around one last time before she jumped up. Her body filled with a familiar warmth, and she pushed it below her, lifting herself high enough that her feet would land on the branch. She then reached for the next sturdy branch and pulled herself up as if she weighed nothing. She continued quickly up the tree until she was on the same branch as the kitten.

The branch bent and moaned under her weight. She stopped for a moment, and took hold of a higher branch to lessen the strain. Koshou hissed loudly and inched back. Misha raised off of the branch, and it moved again, earning another hiss from the kitten. It's ears laid back against it's head.

"Koshou-chan," she sang softly, reaching out to pet the kitten. "Here kitty-kitty."

It hissed at her yet again.

"Now now, Kitty," she said.

She continued to hold her hand out towards the kitten, releasing a bit of her energy. Animals were just as susceptible to angelic energy as humans were. If she released just the right amount of energy she was certain that she could get the kitten to relax.

It took a few moments, but the kitten reacted to her. It's body relaxed and its ears perked up. Misha smiled and reached out a little further to pet it.

"Good kitty. Su," she cooed.

"O-Oneesan!" the girl called up to her. "Are you okay, Oneesan?"

Koshou mewed quietly and tilted its head into her hand. She smiled as it began purring. She lowered herself down to one of the branches below, and hovered just above it to keep it from snapping. The less attention she drew to herself, the better.

She picked Koshou up and cradled it in her arms.

"I'm fine! Su!" she called back.

Something black flashed in front of her face suddenly and was followed by a venomous hiss. Misha screamed. She stumbled back, but there was nothing to step on and she dropped out of the tree.

Her fall stopped with a jolt, but she felt no pain.

"Oneesan!" the girl cried as she ran up to them. "Th-That was so amazing, Oneesan!"

"Eh?" Misha's eyes snapped open. She stared at the girl. "Wh-What is?"

"You, Oneesan!" the girl exclaimed, pointing at her.

Misha blinked, confused for a moment. She glanced at the ground and realized what the girl was talking about: she was floating above the ground. Misha laughed softly as she lowered herself to the ground.

"Koshou-chan!" the girl exclaimed, seeming to have forgotten the "amazing" thing she had just seen. She reached for her kitten, and Misha gladly gave it to her.

_You got lucky, idiot angel,_ Klaus growled at her.

Misha laughed softly. She turned around to face the small black cat.

"Thank you very much!" the girl exclaimed, hugging the kitten tightly to her chest. Laughing, she ran off.

"You're welcome. Su," Misha replied, not looking at her.

Misha stood up and dusted herself off. She could feel the weight of Klaus' feline eyes on her.

"You're not gonna make today easy for me, are you? Su?" she sighed. She smiled anyways. "How mean, Nya-chan."

_That's _not _my name!!_

-----

_They must be aware of it,_ Klaus mentally sighed.

His eyes darted to the pink-haired menace that was sitting across the living room table from him, and he glared at her.

Though he had chosen to live in the human realm with Shia, he remained fully aware of Hell's affairs. The Council had given him the permission he needed to stay by Shia's side, though there were several conditions attached to it. The first was that he had to be ready to called to battle at any given moment - the Council was clear that there was no exception to that; and, the second was that he had to give weekly reports of the activities of both angels and demons in his area.

The latter request was bothersome, but he did not openly complain about it. If he showed an displeasure to the Council, they would station him elsewhere - most likely back in Hell. And if that happened, there would be no one to protect Shia in case of an emergency.

His situation had become very convenient, however.

Aizou and her band of misfits were now living with him. She was the demon of interest, though - the woman that had betrayed Hell. She had been a powerful demon of her time, and even as a half demon she retained a great deal of that power. It had been a great asset while she served Hell. Now that she was a traitor that power was only a threat.

Eventually she would be dealt with.

_Why did she pick up the failure angel, though?_ he wondered as he continued to glare at Misha.

There was nothing special about the pink-haired angel that he could think of. Until recently Aizou had only gathered together powerful half demons - and one fallen angel - to her group. Each member of the group possessed a power that was unique to them. As far as he could tell Misha possessed no such ability.

She was a regular angel, and a weak one at that.

"Nya-chan, you've been staring at me for a while. Su," Misha giggled. "Is there something on my face? Su?"

Klaus growled. She was so bubbly and "happy" all of the time. It was sickening. The fact that she was an angel was more than enough of a reason to hate her - her personality simply closed the deal.

Aizou had told her, hadn't she? The night before Misha had mentioned something about protecting Shia. She must have known something about the upcoming war. The question was, how much did she know about it? How much did Aizou know, and how much of that information had she passed on to the others. And, more importantly, just what did they intend to do about it?

"Misha-san," Shia called out to her softly.

Instinctively, his head snapped in the brunette's direction at the sound of her voice.

"I was going to head over to Kotarou-san's to make dinner now," she said. "Would you like to come with me?"

His gaze returned to the pink-haired angel. She nodded, and smiled warmly.

"O-Okay, Shia-chan! Su!"

She jumped up and ran over to Shia.

Klaus sighed.

"Klaus-san," Shia said softly.

"…yes?"

"Please take care. I'll be home in a few hours."

He turned to watch her leave.

How much longer would it be until that _thing_ that the Council was searching for was found?

After it was, the Human Realm would undoubtedly become a battlefield. Demons could not step into Heaven and angels could not step into Hell, it would be their death. Humans would be caught in the middle, unaware of the events taking place around them. He didn't mind sacrificing a few humans, however…

"_It's good that you care about her,"_ Misha's voice echoed in his mind. "_You'll always keep her safe, then."_

If It came down to it, he wouldn't be able to leave her when the war began.

-----

Kotarou yawned. He had stayed at the library to study for nearly four hours after his study session with Takashi had ended. He wasn't nearly as smart as Takashi was. He needed to put in the extra effort, especially so close to exam time.

Or so he'd told himself.

He sighed heavily as he reached the last stair to his apartment's floor.

It was coming. He'd known from the first moment he saw Misha that this was coming. Despite the fact that he constantly reasoned with himself that he didn't need Misha anymore because he was with Koboshi, he didn't want Misha to know that. Even though all of her attention was given to Takashi, he wanted her to be able to look at him and, even if it was just a fleeting thought, think that he was still there.

He sighed. He really was an idiot. A selfish idiot.

He stopped at his door, and glanced at Shia's. Misha was once again living there, next door to him. He could knock on the door now and there she would be, smiling and carefree. She'd say hi, and offer to let him come in - she'd probably grab him by the wrist and drag him in. He'd stumble, or maybe even trip. But she would catch him before he fell, and laugh.

_Ugh… Stop it,_ he mentally berated himself. _Just go tell her and have it over with._

He took a deep breath and made his way to the next door.

He raised his hand to knock on it, then hesitated. What was he going to say to her? He could just blurt it out to her, but that seemed rude. Beating around the bush would just take too long and he'd lose his nerve. And how would she react to finding out? Would she be disappointed, or jealous? What would she say to him?

What did it matter?

He bowed his head. He was being stupid. He'd spent every day of the last three years longing to see his pink-haired angel once again. Even as the days turned into months, he tried to hold out the faint hope that she would one day return. He believed Shia's words - Misha wasn't dead, she would come back to him.

_You really are an idiot._

He shook his head and headed for his door.

What was it that Koboshi so panicked, anyways? From the moment that she made her presence known, Misha only had eyes for Takashi. She hadn't even looked in his direction if she didn't have to. She didn't waste her breath on him. Her wasn't even "Kotarou-kun" anymore, he was "Higuchi-san, Takashi-kun's friend."

He'd been expecting it, though. The moment he discovered that the feelings Misha had been pushing onto were actually meant for "Kotaroh", he knew that she would stop caring for him.

"Welcome home," Shia's voice echoed from the kitchen, jarring him out of his thoughts.

"Ah, thank you, Shia-san," he called back as he slipped his shoes off. He then called out, "Shino-chan, I'm home."

Shino came bounding from the living room, a proud smile on her face. She was holding her math textbook.

"I finally get it!" she proudly announced.

He smiled and laughed softly. Shino's class had just started learning algebra. He had made several attempts to teach her how to understand it, but nothing ever managed to make sense to her. The poor girl had been getting so frustrated she refused to even attempt the work anymore.

"That's great, Shino-chan."

She nodded in agreement. "Yup! Misha-oneesan taught me!"

His heart stopped. Misha had? She was there?

"M-Mi… sha-san…" he mumbled, his eyes wide. "Misha-san's here?"

"Uh huh." Shino nodded.

Misha took that chance to make her appearance from the living room. She peeked her head around the corner and smiled sheepishly at him. She waved at him, then lowered her hands to her sides. She looked very uncomfortable.

His heart was pounding hard in his chest. What was she doing there? He had just managed to convince himself to put off telling her that he was dating Koboshi, and there she was.

"G-Good evening, Ko… Kotarou-kun. Su," she said softly.

His heart fluttered at her use of his name. She hadn't once called him that since her return. Not once. She had always, very purposely, kept a distance between them by being so formal. He'd found it to be so disappointing.

But now that she had used his name, he wasn't sure how to respond to her.

"I hope that you don't mind my bringing Misha-san over," Shia said as she, too, entered the front hall. "No one else is home next door. I didn't want to leave her alone."

He shook his head.

"No, it's, um… It's okay," he replied. "I, um… I needed to speak with her, anyways."

"Ah, I see." Shia smiled. "Want to help me with dinner, Shino-chan?"

"Yeah!" Shino exclaimed.

They went into the kitchen, and Kotarou watched them. He could feel Misha's eyes weighing down on him.

"L… Let's… go to my room," he suggested, blushing. "I-It'll… be more private there. We can talk."

"Okies! Su!" Misha agreed enthusiastically. She still looked nervous, and played with the fabric of her skirt as she stood there.

He began heading for his bedroom, and motioned for her to follow him. They said nothing to one another until they reached the room and he closed the door.

"Ahh. This brings back so many memories! Su!" Misha gasped as she looked around the room. She laughed softly. "I can't believe it's been so long!"

Kotarou felt his face heat up. Even though he had been the one to suggest it, it was awkward to have her alone in his room.

"Ahh!" she gasped again. This time she was looking at a picture frame.

Kotarou recognized it immediately. It was a picture of all of them taken shortly after they visited the hot springs. It was the only picture that he had that Misha was in. Misha had draped herself over his shoulders, and Koboshi was glaring at them. A small smile tugged at his lips. Back then he had been annoyed by Misha's overwhelming attention, and confused by Koboshi's hostility towards her.

"Kotarou-kun, what's on your mind? Su?"

He blinked, then stared at her. She had become very calm since back then. She didn't raise her voice, or jump around, or even attach herself to him. It was very different from the 'Misha' that he was used to being near.

"Kotarou-kun? Su?" She took a step towards him. She tilted her head to the side curiously. "Hey… does it bother you when I call you that?"

"Koboshi… probably wouldn't like it," he replied. His gaze fell to the carpet. They were alone now. He _had_ to tell her.

"Misha-san!" he exclaimed. "Koboshi and I are-"

"I already know, Kotarou-kun," she cut him off. She smiled brightly.

He fell silent. _How could she already know…?_

As if she read his mind, she continued on,

"Takashi-kun… in a letter… He told me when it happened."

"Of course," he grumbled. "That makes _perfect_ sense."

He couldn't stop the jealousy that rose deep within him. She and Takashi had been secretly corresponding with one another. What had happened between them on that last day that they would do such a thing?

"Kotarou-kun," she called out to him, jarring him out of his thoughts. "I… Kotarou-kun, I decided that, more than anything else, I want to be able to do something for you. Su. Even though I messed up a lot back then, I won't let it stop me. Su. I _will_ make you happy! Su!"

She came up and hugged him suddenly. One arm wrapped around his waist, the other wrapped around his shoulders. He gasped softly, a light flush colouring his cheeks.

"Mi-Misha-san…"

"I just wanted to hold you one last time," she whispered into his ear.

He closed his eyes and rested his cheek against her shoulder. His arms instinctively slid around her waist, and he held her tightly.

_Just this last time,_ he told himself.

"Even though I'm really stupid, I'll do it. Su," she whispered. "I promise you I will. Su."

-----

There was blood seeping out of his mouth. One arm was bent oddly. The water around him was stained red with his blood. There was so much red water… there must have been another place that the blood was escaping from his body.

It must have hurt so much.

But he was smiling. He looked so happy. So peaceful.

Was he dead?

She hoped not.

She reached for him, but her hand passed though his body. Her eyes widened. She couldn't touch him.

"No!" she sobbed. "No, let me save him! _Please!_"

"Mi… sha…"

She gasped. He _was_ still alive.

"Misha… san…"

"Ko-Kotaroh-kun…" she whispered. She reached for him again, and this time stopped just short. Tears rushed to her eyes. There was nothing she could do.

_No…_

"Now…"

_Why …?_

"Now I… can… be with you… Misha-san."

_Why did this have to happen?!_

-----

Misha had left shortly after they had finished dinner, and he had seen her out. It had felt natural to see her off. He always had in the past. This time had felt no different from the others. They parted ways and promised to see one another again in the morning.

She wanted to meet up with Takashi before school again.

Kotarou gave an annoyed growl. He dropped his pen onto the textbook he had been studying.

Things had gone better than he had been anticipating - too well, in fact. Misha had been so understanding. She didn't seem the least bit jealous that her "Kotarou-kun" was no longer in her reach. She only took one last hug from him, her way of letting go.

_But I'm not _her '_Kotarou-kun',_ he reminded himself. He closed his eyes. _That's all she ever cared about. It was never me…_

He raised his hands to eye level and stared at his palms. She had been his arms for the first time in three years, and it had to be under those conditions. The moment that he had been dreaming of for so long, and it was only to end any possibility of that dream.

"Why does it have to be like this, Misha-san?" he wondered aloud. He felt the first wave of tears rush to his eyes. "Why… can't we be together?"

* * *

I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it to upload this tonight, but I made it! At quarter to eleven! Whoo. Haha. I'm tired from work, though... feeling kind of weird. I hope that you guys enjoyed the chapter. I ended up having to remove two scenes in order to finish it tonight, but I'll be adding them in to the next chapter.

- Makami


	8. How to Share a Secret

Geez, this site was giving me a lot of problems with my files yesterday. Well, I got it figured out now, so please enjoy this chapter. Hopefully I have an easier time writing chapter seven. Here's to being hopeful!

**Moonlight Demon  
**Chapter Six, How to Share a Secret

It was still dark out, even though she had been out for a few hours. Aizou glanced up at the star-filled sky with a slight smile, before she shook her head and continued walking. Mango followed a few steps behind her, silently.

The ability to see the future in brief visions was a power that she had been blessed with at birth.

At that time it had been a valuable ability. For years a war had been raging between Heaven and Hell over the fate of a single half demon. It hadn't been the first war over it, and in her lifetime alone there had been three more.

It - the half demon, aptly nicknamed "The Shadows" for its ability to manipulate shadows - was a legend within the two realms.

To the demons in Hell is was nothing more than a tool of war - a supreme weapon that they could use. Because it was only a half demon, the _pure_ energy of an angel could not harm it as effectively as it would a full-blooded demon. And in a few cases, angelic energy only fed its power.

To the angels in Heaven it was an unstoppable, despicable demonic force that _had_ to be eliminated. It was pure unholy power, strong enough to destroy all of Heaven, wrapped up neatly in a human body.

It was their nightmare. Their apocalypse.

_It_ was so feared to such a degree that several of them ventured to the darkness just to acquire the knowledge to create a curse that could destroy it.

But as with anything that was so powerful, it came with a hefty price. It took five angels to execute the ritual a single time. When the ritual ended, and the curse was unleashed upon _The Shadows_, those five angels would share the same fate.

To the angels it was probably a necessary evil to destroy a much larger one.

However, Aizou had witnessed it once before. She was only of the few beings to be in the presence of _The Shadows_ when the curse took it.

Her stomach churned at the memory.

"Getting distracted won't help us find it," Mango spoke up. She gently placed a hand on Aizou's shoulder and smiled at her.

Aizou nodded.

"You don't have to tell me that," she sighed.

They were a strange group of friends - three half demons and a fallen angel. Though despite _what_ they were, it was their abilities that made them a suitable team.

She was able to _feel out_ the emotions of others - an ability that she acquired from the angel that she performed the Life Exchange ritual with. For someone that had grown up as a demon, empathy was a generally useless ability for her. The only aspect of it that was useful was that it also allowed her to impose the emotion of her choice on other beings.

Mango's ability was somewhat disturbing, even to her. She could read minds and hear the thoughts of others. It was extremely useful in battle, however. Being able to know when an attack was coming, and to effectively counter it, gave her an edge against her opponents.

Though, as if honouring her angelic roots, she'd never tried to impose thoughts onto someone.

Aya, on the other hand, was a very different case. She possessed a very rare ability - one that belonged to an old demon lord. With it she could manipulate and control the body of living being that she wanted.

She had, however, been born and raised as a human, completely unaware of her demonic blood. Because of that she was less skilled and very inexperienced with her powers. At her current level she could only control something if her will surpassed its own - and that was a rare occurrence.

"We've got company," Mango mentioned, her voice barely over a whisper.

Aizou gave the slightest hint of a nod and continued walking. Mango followed in suit, slowing her pace so that she was several steps behind.

She closed her eyes as she continued to walk. The air was filled with a mix of unnamable emotions, but those were all from slumbering humans. Beyond that, she could feel something growing.

She could feel something hot. It filled her body until she felt like it was on fire. A stinging sensation accompanied the heat, a feeling quite similar to pins and needles pricking at her heart. Whoever was coming for them was angry, and definitely bitter.

"Ah, so it's you two," she sighed. She stopped mid-stride and glanced around..

"You two?" Mango echoed, sounding confused. Her face filled with understanding a second later. "Ahh… _those_ two."

"You know, for a mind reader you're pretty dense sometimes," she laughed.

"It can't be helped when I'm making an effort not to intrude," she chimed back.

"You're never trying."

"Ah, you got me there."

"So you sensed my presence, did ya, demon bitch?" a voice snarled.

A moment later two shadowed figures stepped out from around a corner. Even though she couldn't see them very clearly, she knew exactly who they were. She'd never met any other being with such a distinct, enraged feeling about them. It was rare to find in angels, but there were a few that just could not suppress that part of themselves.

"Rizuo-chan, your mouth is as foul as ever," she taunted him.

"Shut up!" he shouted back.

Her eyes flickered between the two shadowed figures. The second one was Sarie, Rizuo's partner in the Human Realm. She'd met both of them several times before in situations just like this one. As subordinates to Misha's sister, Sasha, their time was dedicated to hunting down the pink-haired girl, with the hopes of one day returning her to her former self.

This time was no different.

"Where is Misha?" Sarie spoke up. Her voice was softer, gentler, than her partner's.

Without saying anything, Mango walked between them, her back turned to Aizou. Her body was relaxed, with her arms hanging loosely at her sides.

Excitement danced in the air and over Aizou's skin. This feeling she was certain belonged to Mango. Separate the two angels were sub par fighters, but as a duo they were capable of some amazing things. Mango, who loved to fight, could never resist a powerful opponent.

"They're not worth our time, Mango. We have more important things to do."

"You shut up!" Rizuo snapped.

"Can't you say anything else?" she sighed. She placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Just tell us… where Misha is…" Sarie insisted, sounding unsure of herself now. She didn't appear to be too keen on fighting. Or maybe it was…

Aizou sighed again and rubbed the back of her head.

It bothered her that the two angels had found them so quickly. It didn't take much to figure out that, Misha being Misha, she would want to come back here at some point. This was the place that Kotarou Higuchi lived. No matter how much time passed, as long as the boy was alive, Misha would always return to this place.

It wasn't a surprise that her sister, Sasha, would know that much.

It was troublesome. In her vision about _The Shadows_, this was the place that it was to awaken in. She knew enough about the current situations in Heaven and Hell to know that they hadn't completely narrowed their search down to the country of Japan. Until they realized that this was where _The Shadows_ was, she had the upper hand for finding him. If these two persisted in following them, they would undoubtedly come across their true reason for returning here.

She would not allow them to find it first.

It was possible to kill them. If Mango would stop playing around long enough and fight long enough with the intention of killing them, it would be enough.

However, that would only confirm their location and bring more angels. It was a no-win situation for her.

"We're not in the mood to fight you two," Aizou declared. "So just get the hell out of here, would you?"

Sarie jumped back. Rizuo took a step forward.

She gave them a tight lipped smile. In order to give them a chance to travel to Japan without being followed, she had imposed terror into Sarie's heart. It was a terror strong enough that she would not easily recover from it. Even though she could recover from the initial shock of it, she would never fully recover. There would always be some part of her that was scared, some part of her that would always tremble and shake when she was startled.

It was a last resort for her. She disliked the thought of condemning someone to such a fate. To make more time to search for _The Shadows_, though, she had needed to do something.

Mango took a step back, then turned around and began walking away. She'd either been following Aizou's thoughts, or on her own she had come to the same decision.

Fighting the two now was pointless. Sarie wasn't in the proper state of mind, and without her support Rizuo was useless. They weren't an immediate threat. Killing them would only complicate matters.

Turning away now was the right thing to do.

"How dare you…" Rizuo growled.

She shrugged and joined Mango.

"You're too weak to fight," she quipped. She waved back to them. "Come back next week."

The heat that she'd been feeling flared.

Mango spun around suddenly. She raised her elbow and thrust it out; a sickening crack quickly followed after. Aizou turned around in time to see Rizuo fall to his knees, blood gushing profusely from his face. Mango was already walking away from him.

Aizou just sighed and turned away.

_Things are going to get complicated from here on._

--

"Misha!" Aizou's voice broke through the silence of the kitchen.

If she had the energy for it, Misha would have jumped right out of her chair.

Instead all she could muster was a breathy chuckle.

"Aizou. Su…"

She should have expected it to be coming. Feeding on humans, and even demons, disgusted her. It wasn't like she killed them. No, unlike pure demons who needed to sacrifice the life of another to sustain their own, she could survive just by taking the smallest amount. The one she took that energy from would weaken slightly, but it wasn't permanent. They would heal in time.

But even with that in mind, she couldn't bring herself to feed on someone. It felt wrong to take someone else's life energy away from them.

It was easy for her to spread out her feedings due to the fact that she was an artificially created half demon. Therefore she was only a "demon" half of the time that naturally born ones were. Even though God's blessing had been revoked from her, her angelic blood was able to sustain itself in the Human Realm.

Aizou made her way across the kitchen so that she was standing at her side. She knelt down, looking up at Misha's face. Was she looking for something? An answer, perhaps? She should have had that without needing to check.

"You're such an idiot," she sighed, casting her gaze to the side.

Aya, who was sitting on the opposite side of the table, leaned over so that she was practically laying on it, and pouted.

"Doesn't Misha-chan have to take a special entrance exam today?" she questioned.

Aizou pushed herself to her feet and nodded slowly.

There was a knock on the wall before Mango's voice announced,

"I'll go buy an energy drink."

"Heh. Yeah, for what good it'll do her," Aizou agreed.

Misha smiled weakly at her. "I'm sorry. I just… can't do those things yet…"

Aizou let out an exasperated sigh before flopping down onto the nearest chair. She folded her arms over her stomach.

"Really, how many times do we have to go through this before you get it? Especially at a time like this…"

"What's going on? Nyah?"

"I had a run in with Rizuo and Sarie earlier."

"Already…? Nyah?"

Misha looked down to her hands where they lay in her lap. She'd never met either of them until after she joined Aizou and the others, but Rizuo and Sarie had been relentless in their pursuit for her. Over and over, they claimed to be doing it in Sasha's name. Was it because of her repentance that she'd never met them? Or were they just trying to fool her?

"Sacchan…" she whimpered.

Aya slid back into her chair and stared curiously at Aizou. "Should I help you catch a demon?"

She nodded.

"Oddly, there don't seem to be many in the area. We'll need Mango's help to track one down, too."

Misha straightened herself up in her seat. She understood perfectly well why Aizou was annoyed with her. It was the first time in all of their travels together that they would actually be staying in one spot for more than a few days. They had always uprooted themselves the moment they angels had caught up to them. Now, with time dwindling down, they no longer were able to.

Now, they were going to have to face whoever those two were under, be it Sasha or any other angel.

And she was in no condition for that.

"Misha," Aizou began. Her tone was as firm as it could be. She was going to lecture her.

"I won't hold back tonight!" Misha snapped back, panic edging its way into her voice. She hadn't meant to snap, but she also didn't want to hear the lecture.

She was silent for a moment, then finally added,

"…as long as it's a demon, I won't hold back."

Aizou nodded and pushed herself to her feet. Giggling, Aya followed her.

"We'll have to wait until after the exam to have her feed," she sighed. "For now, Aya, you help her get to the school."

"Got'cha! Nya!"

"What about you?" Misha asked.

"I have another matter to attend to," she explained. "Until then, don't over exert yourself."

She nodded. "Okies. Su."

--

Kotarou stared at Aizou from across the café table.

_What does she want from me?_ he wondered. He sighed impatiently and cast his gaze to the side.

He had been surprised when the woman had been standing at the tricot's entrance, waiting for him to arrive. And unlike during their last meeting, she was straight to the point. She "needed" to speak to him about Misha.

That was the only reason that he agreed to speak to her.

Yet despite the fact that she was so direct at first, she was now taking her time getting to the reason that she approached him. She took the time to order a drink - which he graciously allowed her to do - and then spent her time glancing around the café as if he wasn't even there. When she did acknowledge him it was nothing more than a brief glance before she resumed what she was doing before.

Kotarou sighed again, a hint of a growl inching into it.

"What did you want to talk about, Aizou-san?" he asked finally.

Her attention returned to him, but she said nothing. She propped her head on one of her hands and stared at him.

"That must be your girlfriend," she commented.

Kotarou gazed over at the front counter where his friends were seated. Takashi and Shia were in uniform, standing behind the counter, but they all seemed to be in a heated discussion about something. Koboshi was seated nearest to them and glanced back often. She looked upset about something.

"From the way that Misha spoke about her I'd gathered that she was the jealous type of person, but I wouldn't have guessed that it would have been so strong," she continued. She continued to gaze at him from across the table, curiosity sparking in her eyes. "I don't think she likes that I'm talking to you."

"What's your point?" he sighed. He was getting really tired of her.

She laughed softly, "alright, alright. I understand. You don't like me that much either."

He furrowed his brows at her. It wasn't that much of a surprise that she knew how he felt about her. It wasn't as though he was making an effort to hide it from her. What bothered him, though, was the fact that she didn't even seem to care.

"You should have some idea as to why I asked to speak with you today," she said.

Kotarou shook his head.

She frowned and tilted her head curiously at him. "Has Misha even mentioned anything about the last three years to you?"

He narrowed her eyes at her. What was she trying to get at?

"Your tea, Aizou-san," Takashi announced as he approached them.

"Thank you, Ayanokoji-kun," she replied as she turned to face him.

He smiled slightly at her, then at Kotarou. He stood there for a moment, obviously unsure as to whether he wanted to continue the conversation or not. Finally he just nodded to them and walked away.

Kotarou watched impatiently as she sipped at her tea. Whatever it was that she had to say didn't seem to be all that important to her. Was her only purpose in speaking to him to jerk him around? He wanted to stand up and walk away from her, but even just the chance to hear about what she had been up to kept him in place.

He shifted in his seat.

"Could you hurry this up?"

She folded her arms on the table, and nodded. She looked thoughtful for a moment, then finally said,

"I have a request of you, Higuchi."

"What does that have to do with Misha-san?" he snapped back.

She gave him a tight-lipped smile. "Plenty."

_Plenty_? What exactly was that supposed to mean? His eyebrows furrowed again.

"What is it?"

Aizou sat up straight in her chair now, leaning over the table as if she meant to tell him a great secret.

"When see Sasha next, don't tell her that you've seen us. Especially Misha."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Aizou looked away, irritated.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out that once she's back in Japan, she'll come to see you," she grumbled. "Misha isn't in the best of health at the moment. If she's forced to confront any angels it would be her death."

Kotarou sat up straighter.

"What's wrong with Misha-san?" Panic edged into his voice. "And what do you mean it'd be the death of her? Why would Sasha-san try to…"

A bitter smile graced Aizou's lips.

Kotarou could only continue to stare at her as he waited for an explanation. Shia had told him immediately that Misha had abandoned Heaven, but he had never given the price of that a thought. Shia had also explained that failing the angel exams meant _death_ for an angel - what was it that Misha had done to avoid that and extend her life? What had she done to earn that second chance?

"Misha was still just a kid when I picked her up. Because of what happened with your former self she was never exposed to the truth of Heaven."

_The truth of Heaven…?_ he silently wondered.

"Angels don't just go _poof_ when they fail their examinations, you know," she said. She sipped at her nearly forgotten tea.

Kotarou had to think for a moment before he asked, "What happens to them?"

"Well, to be honest, it's not usually such a _severe_ punishment, but for someone in Misha's case… as an angel that has completely fallen from grace and tainted her body with demon blood, the punishment is death."

His eyes widened until he was certain they might pop out of their sockets.

"Wh-What do you mean… it's punishable by d-death?" he stammered, his voice quickly rising.

"I'm _saying_ that by becoming a half demon, Misha condemned herself to death," she stated very matter-of-factly.

"By becoming a half demon…?" Kotarou echoed.

_That makes sense,_ he thought reluctantly. _Angels and demons hate each other. If an angel became even half of one, they'd want to destroy it. But… how it is even possible to do that? And why would they do it? Why would Misha-san do something like that…?_

"If you can't figure out the _why_, you're even more of an idiot than I thought you are."

Kotarou jumped to his feet. His chair slammed to the ground and skid back a few feet. He slammed his hands on the table hard enough for Aizou's tea cup to bounce and spill tea all over the table. He could feel the anger, the rage, building up inside of him as he glared at her. Who was she to sit there and make fun of him at that moment? Who the hell did she think she was?

She met his heated gaze with a calm expression, though there was something in her eyes that revealed her discomfort.

_Good,_ he thought, sneering at her. _I hope she is uncomfortable. That woman… She…_

"How could you turn her into one of you!?" he shouted. He could feel himself getting hotter and hotter as if a fire was burning deep inside of himself, fueled by the anger he was feeling at that moment. "You took everything away from her! Her dream to become a full-fledged angel… that was something she really, _really_ wanted! And you took it from her!"

He only half meant the words that were coming out of his mouth. The Misha that he held dearly in his memories wanted to become a full fledged angel more than anything else. She would never do something this insane, something this radical.

She never would have left him.

It was this woman's fault, wasn't it? What she did to Misha… _It's all her fault…_

"Kotarou, man, that's enough!" Takashi was nearly shouting at him.

Kotarou glanced at him. He was standing beside the table now, somewhere between them as if he meant to protect Aizou from him. His hands were raised, prepared for anything, with an expression on his face that told him to 'back off'.

"Kotarou," Koboshi called out to him. She had also gotten up and made her way towards them. But she was standing a few feet back. Was she scared? Of him?

Yeah, he must have been acting pretty crazy at that moment.

He looked away. She was his girlfriend, but he didn't honestly feel _that_ way about her. It had been so stupid to try to use her to get over Misha. _He'd_ been so stupid to think that he could actually do it. He loved Misha more than anyone else that he knew. He loved her so much that it hurt to think about her.

With those thoughts in mind, there was no way that he could meet Koboshi's eyes. He felt embarrassed. And a little ashamed.

"Shia should have told you," Aizou said, "that if the ritual hadn't gone through, Misha would be dead right now. There are very few angels that can survive without God's blessing when they're in the Human Realm. Very few are strong enough, both in actual power and will. Misha wasn't much of an angel. She was weak, her heart and been wounded deeply by _Kotaroh_. Would you really have preferred it if she died, rather than giving up her dream to become a full-fledged angel?"

He twitched. His anger had subsided because of his friends, but hearing her voice brought it back in full force. And yet he couldn't bring himself to say anything. The words that he wanted to scream at her were trapped in his throat. His hands curled into fists. He couldn't only continue to glare at her.

Would death really have been better for Misha than this?

_No…_

He bowed his head in defeat. There was nothing that he could say. She was right. If Misha had died then, he didn't know what he would have done.

Aizou raised to her feet. For the first time he realized how pale she'd become. Despite that her balance was steady and her firm gaze unwavering.

"If you understand what I'm saying then protect Misha. Don't let Sasha know where she is."

He still couldn't find his voice. Was he supposed to say something to her? He'd lost his will to yell at her. What else was there to say now?

"Aizou-san, are you feeling alright?" Takashi asked her.

She smiled weakly.

"Of course."

Their voices slowly blended into the background. He didn't care about what they were saying.

Why hadn't anyone told him this sooner? Why did he have to find all of this out from _that_ woman? How could Misha just smile and say those things to him as if _nothing_ had changed.

"Kotarou," Koboshi called out to him. She tentatively touched his arm. "Are you okay?"

He stared at her dumbly for a moment. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to be feeling, but he felt sort of numb inside.

--

Kotarou growled as he slumped over his text book. It was getting harder and harder to focus on his studies as each day passed. The more things he learned about Misha the more confused he felt about her. How could she - someone who wanted so desperately to become a great angel - have chosen to become a half demon? How could she have given up all of her dreams for something like that?

"It didn't seem like Aizou-san was lying," he mumbled to himself. He frowned deeply at that.

Aizou had no purpose to lie about Misha. Even though he barely knew the woman - and as much as he despised her - he had no reason to distrust what she was saying. She was asking him to protect Misha.

_If Sasha-san finds out about Misha-san being here… will she really kill her?_ he wondered. _That's impossible, isn't it…? Sasha-san's an angel…_

"Hey, _Wonder boy_."

He jumped at her voice breaking out so suddenly. He hadn't noticed that she had come down. How long had she been there? Did she hear him talking to himself?

_She knew that Sasha would be coming,_ he thought to himself.

Finally, he turned around to face her.

As usual she was enveloped in the bright, unnatural glow that somehow gave off a faint warmth. He could feel as his body accepted the energy in that light and slowly relaxed. It was like sinking back into a pleasant dream.

She placed her hands on her hips. There was something unsettling in the way that she was staring at him.

He sighed.

Forget dreaming. Dealing with Sasha was more of a nightmare.

"I'll cut to the chase," she sighed, waving an hand around. "I want to know where Misha is."

He continued to stare at her. He'd met with her on several other occasions, when she was hopeful that Misha had contacted him. She was usually polite at those times, losing her temper only after she discovered that he had no information to offer her. But this time was different. This time she wasn't asking him if he had been contacted by Misha. She was demanding the information from him as if she already knew.

_Does she already know? No… Sasha-san isn't sure yet. That's why she's confronting me now._

"I don't-"

"Don't even try playing dumb with me!" she snapped, nearly shrieking. She lowered herself to the ground, still glaring down at him. "I know she's here! We've confirmed it! So tell me _where_ in this city she is!!"

He growled. To follow Aizou's request, or to deny it? What path would keep Misha the safest? Could the angels reverse what was done to her? Could they make her a pure angel again? Or would they really just kill her on site? That was so un-angelic. Could he trust what he was told?

"Please, kid," she urged, her voice suddenly very soft. "There might still be a chance. As long as there's that chance for her to go back, I won't let anyone touch her."

His head snapped up. His eyes met hers.

"There's still a chance for her to be an angel again?"

"…so you know, then."

He bit his lip. _Damnit…_

She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. She flashed him an exasperated expression.

"Listen, what Misha is now, that's a really dangerous thing," she explained. "I don't know who told you - if it was Misha herself or one of those animals that she travels with - but you have to be careful around them. I doubt Misha even understood what she was doing when she agreed to it. A half demon is a dangerous monster. A wild, untamed animal. When it's hungry, it feeds without any consideration to others!"

"Misha-san… wouldn't do that…" he quietly protested, lowering his eyes from her face.

"You don't get it, do you!?" she shrieked. "That's not Misha anymore! It's an animal! A beast!"

He pushed himself to his feet. His hands curled into fists. How could she say that about her own sister? He had his doubts about Misha, especially after hearing what Aizou had to tell him, but… Misha was still Misha, wasn't she? She was still the sweet, loving woman that he'd fallen for.

"I don't know where she is!" he shouted. "I don't! At all!"

"Geez, you're stubborn," she hissed. She turned to leave, paused, then turned back around.

"What?"

"Be careful. If she hurts you, she'll never forgive herself."

With that, she phased through the wall and was gone. Kotarou stood there, staring straight ahead.

His shoulders slumped and he sighed.

"Misha-san… what have you done…?"

--

Misha stumbled along the city streets as quickly as she could. She did not even pay attention to where she was going. It did not matter where she was going, either. The only thing that mattered was getting as far away from the apartment building as was possible for her.

Mango had been the first one to notice that an angel was descending from Heaven, but she was unable to discern who it was. Though it took her a moment, Misha recognized the unforgettable presence of her sister and alerted the others. No matter what, they couldn't be discovered there. If Sasha found them, then other angels would follow and Shia would be placed in danger.

She stopped and glanced around the street.

_I think I made it far enough away,_ she thought, breathing hard. She walked up to the nearest street lamp and leaned against it. _I should be okay from here…_

Using the street lamp she lowered herself until she was sitting on the ground with her knees pulled up to her chest. Tears rushed to her eyes. She was tired, scared, and alone. Until Sasha left she had no choice but to stay out on the street and hope that she didn't sense her. The others scattered from the building on their own, leaving her without anyone to depend on.

She bit back a groan as a sharp pain tore through her chest. Instinctively she grabbed for it.

_No… Not right now… Not like this…_ she silently begged.

"Misha?!" Takashi's voice echoed through the empty streets.

She shuddered and remained still. The pain in her chest was slowly subsiding. It would have been stupid to hope that the blond would simply walk past her, but that didn't stop her from wishing that he would. She'd been through this before plenty of times. She was reaching her limit and would have to feed soon.

If she didn't…

"Misha, is it you," Takashi sighed, sounding relieved and a little worried.

She heard his footsteps slowly approaching her. She sucked in a few deep breaths to test her breathing. It still hurt, but the pain was bearable. She was certain that she could ignore it, at least long enough to send him on his way.

But what happened after that? Until she met up with the others she was helpless.

"Misha," Takashi repeated her name again. He knelt down so that he was at eye level with her. "What's wrong?"

She returned his gaze, the first tears slipping down her cheeks.

"I'm tired. Su," she replied. She attempted to smile but her face fought her. "I'm tired of being like this…"

Takashi placed one hand on her shoulder, while rested the other against the side of her face and gently turned it so that she was looking at him. Her eyes searched his face. Illuminated in that pale, artificial light he looked as though he was bathed in a Heavenly light - glowing as a full fledged angel would. His green eyes were kind and full of concern.

A real smile tugged at her lips.

Being with Takashi was like that. No matter what was bothering her, just looking at his caring face could bring a smile to hers. He was the only person she knew that could do that to her. Instinctively, her body reacted to his.

"Of being… half demon?" he questioned.

Misha eyes grew wide and she drew back from him, the smile wiped completely from her face. Her breath caught in her throat. Her mind raced a mile a minute. How did he know? Not even Kotarou was aware of the change yet, so how could he have found out? Who had told him?

Did he hate her for it?

"Calm down," he said. He reached for her again, and she flinched. "Calm down, Misha. It's alright."

Her chest was burning. It was starting to hurt again. _Breathe!_ her mind frantically screamed at her.

She sucked in a deep breath. The cool, fresh air quickly eased the burning sensation. Her shoulders slumped as she continued to breathe deeply.

Takashi placed his hands on her shoulders, and she flinched again.

"H-How…" she stammered. "How did you… know…?"

He sighed. He sounded frustrated.

"Aizou-san came by the café today," he told her. "She spoke to Kotarou for a while, and I… They got into a fight, and they were both saying some pretty weird things."

"Aizou…" Misha repeated her name, her eyes wide again. "Aizou was saying those things?"

_And to Kotarou-kun,_ she said to herself. _Kotarou-kun knows now, too… What if he hates me now? Everything… Everything I've worked up to since then… I'd lose all of it…_

"It didn't really make a lot of sense, y' know?" he continued. "So I just figured I should ask you. You know… I just want to hear you tell me what's true…"

She looked away. There was no point in denying it now.

"I-It's a pretty crazy thing to think, isn't it? Su?" she questioned.

"It is," he agreed.

"But… what if…" She stared into his eyes. "What if I was crazy enough to say the same thing?"

His eyes were filled with emotions, most of which she could not discern. There was one that was more predominant than the others, one that made her heart skip a beat then pound twice as hard to make up for it. She knew what he was trying to tell her.

"W-Would you believe me…?" She had to know for sure.

He nodded. He looked serious.

She looked down. For some reason she just couldn't look him in the eyes. It was like admitting something _dirty_. She shuddered.

"I-I am… half demon… and half angel…"

He didn't say anything. He didn't move. He just continued to rest his hands on her shoulders.

She closed her eyes. _What's he thinking…?_

Takashi rose to his feet silently. He held a hand out to her.

She took his hand and let him help her to her feed. She couldn't manage even a simple "thank you". Her voice was stuck in her throat. He didn't believe her, and she couldn't blame him. Most humans remained blissfully unaware of the existence of angels and demons. She was claiming to be both now, out of the blue. It was only understandable that he didn't believe her.

Understandable, and yet so disappointing.

She was a little shaky on her feet she realized as she felt herself sway to the side. It took some extra effort but she managed to catch herself before she fell over.

"You're really pale," he commented. He brushed her bangs out of her face for a better view. "You shouldn't be out here. I'll take you home."

Misha shook her head. She couldn't feel Sasha's presence anymore, but that didn't necessarily mean that she was gone just yet. If she returned too soon, and without the others…

She shook her head. She needed to stop thinking about that.

Instead, she just smiled faintly and gazed up at him. In the pale, artificial light, his face was lit up - glowing almost like an angel.

She blushed.

"Takashi-kun…"

She could feel her body beginning to tremble. The pain in her chest was starting to grow again. She clutched at her chest, whimpering softly.

"Ta… ka…"

"Misha, what's wrong?"

He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her lightly. Concern had taken over his features once again.

Pain shot through her chest suddenly, earning a quiet cry from her.

"Misha!?"

She had to fight it off again. She refused to die like this. But at the same time, she couldn't make Takashi one of her victims. If she could just get past this…

She felt another pain tear through her chest. It felt like someone was tearing her apart from the inside. Unable to hold back any longer, she screamed, and fell against him.

"Misha!?"

He was shouting her name. She could hear him, shouting from some far off, distant place. Each time he said her name, his voice sounded a little further away, until it was nothing more than an incoherent buzz. Her eyes lost their focus slowly, and the world dimmed until all that surrounded her was darkness.

_Takashi-kun… I'm scared…_


End file.
